


Protecting Them (Only His Series: Book 3)

by BewareTheBear



Series: Only His Series [4]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Love, Soulmates, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:55:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 47
Words: 109,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22789081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BewareTheBear/pseuds/BewareTheBear
Summary: This entire city was poison-filled trash and vultures who lurked around and attacked my life, and the lives of my children, as they all tried to hide their faces. They would simper around and tell me "it's time to move on." Who are you to tell me anything?! Let me make this clear now. I will do anything to keep my children safe, including burning this city to the ground and hanging the corpses of my enemies off bannerments of my castle.Disclaimer- I do not own the vampire diaries or the originals. All copyrights and ownership go to The CW, Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson, Michael Narducci, and L.J Smith. I only own my original characters and original dialogue.'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''This story is also available on Wattpad (under the same username) and will soon be uploaded to Fanfiction.net (under the username: ihappymac). Please do not steal my work; I have put a lot of effort into it.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes & Original Female Character(s), Damon Salvatore & Stefan Salvatore & Original Female Character(s), Elijah Mikaelson & Original Female Character(s), Hayley Marshall/Original Male Character(s), Klaus Mikaelson & Original Character(s), Klaus Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s), Kol Mikaelson & Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s) & Original Male Character(s)
Series: Only His Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1059830
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, 
> 
> Just a friendly reminder to people who haven't read the first two books. While this book follows Season 2 of The Originals, it might also be confusing if you haven't read the first two books so please do.
> 
> Sincerely,  
> BewareTheBear

_My Dearest Cordelia and Leo,_

_My precious children. I miss you with all my being. I would give anything to hold you in my arms right now. You have to understand, once you become a vampire you can never have children again. I’ve lived a hundred years longing for the children I loved and lost as a human. When I found out I was carrying you, I was shocked for lack of a better word, but know that I have loved you since the day I first heard your heartbeats. Sadly, I am not in a safe place. The truth is your father and I have made a mess of our home. I knew that you both would be unsafe here if you were to stay, so I had to send you away. I am doing everything in my power and so is the entire family to fix this mess and bring you both back._

_Your Uncles Elijah and Kol are tracking down the location of the last five moonlight rings. My close friend and confidant Victor and your cousin Hayley have found out who has three of the 12 rings that weaken your father. All that’s left is to find the location of the last two and retrieve all of them. At this rate though, the city will be safe soon and I’ll be able to hold you in my arms again. There are other minor issues to take care of but they’re really quite trivial, but if you wish to know, ask me when you’re older._

_In lighter news, I’ve finished furnishing your rooms. I brought you both some stuffed animals yesterday. The raven is for you Leo, his name’s Damon, after my older brother, and the teddy bear is for you Cordelia, his name is Charles after your oldest brother. Charles and Damon would have loved you both, but even though they aren’t with right now - they’re always watching over you._

_I love you both so much, and dream of the day you come back home._

_Your loving mother,_

_Alexandria Salvatore_

_December 25, 2013_


	2. Chapter 1

###  Alex’s P.O.V

######  _ February 6th, 2014 _

It was empty here. Why was I still here? It’s not like New Orleans was anything special to me. All the courtyard furniture was covered up with white sheets and plant vines were running up the walls. I took a deep breath and fiddled with my locket for a moment. The spell on the locket was pointless considering hybrids didn’t burn in the sun, meaning it was pointless for me to wear it. Reaching behind I undid the clasp and felt as the locket loosened around my neck. I held it in the palm of my hand and stared at it before opening it up. I almost cried at the family photo held within the little golden heart. We were so innocent back then, the world may have hurt us but at least it hadn't separated us. Some people wore their hearts on their sleeves while I wore mine around my neck. No more. 

I stuffed my necklace into the pocket of my jacket. I didn’t want to move, but I couldn’t stand in the archway forever. The compound’s current state was a representation of my mood. Dull and gray, frayed at the edges. I wish it were the opposite. Happy and warm, maybe then I wouldn’t feel so numb.

“Alex?” I turned and saw Cami walking into the courtyard. 

“Cami?” I asked her. “You shouldn’t be here.” 

“I know, but-”

“If you know then leave,” I snapped. There may have been a time when I would have listened, but why should I listen anymore. No one listened to me and the price was my children. 

“I understand that you’re mourning-” Cami started to explain, softly with pity.

“If you plan to finish that sentence with an ‘I’m sorry,’ I’ll stop you right now,” I scoffed and Cami looked at me sympathetically. “I don’t need your sympathy, or pity, or condolences. You will never understand the pain I’m going through, so don’t even bother trying. I lost my children again and Damon-” I choked up. I couldn’t even say his name. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath while pushing back the tears. I held onto the necklace in my pocket so tightly, I knew it’d leave an imprint. No more. I gave Cami a tired look, “Leave Cami. You're not meant to be here.”

I turned around and made my way towards the stairs. “Francessca’s men keep following me.” I stopped but didn’t turn to her. “The city is being run by gangsters, and you aren’t doing anything about it,” She explained, but that caused me to whip around to her.

“And why do you think I give two shits about this city?” I asked her. “I only stayed because I wanted my children to know their father, but they’re gone now,” And let’s not mention the fact that my grief caused Victor and Hayley to be absent when Jackson was bribing the pack with moonlight rings so they'll follow him.

“Look, Marcel took them out 100 years ago without you. Don’t you think he might be up for lending you a hand?” Cami suggested. 

“Are you not hearing me? I. Don’t. Give. A. Flying. Fuck. About this city. I never wanted to rule or play Queen.  _ THAT _ was all Klaus. Not me,” I explained to her. “Goodbye Cami.” I continued to walk up the staircase once I had finished talking. 

“I know you don’t believe those rumors that Marcel killed your children.” Of course, I don’t believe it, because it’s not true. The lie we came up with is that Francesca and her new pack were the reason why my children died. Marcel killing them was simply a rumor that sprung from our lie, but it did explain why Marcel wasn’t speaking to us. “So if you, or Klaus, or Elijah, want help taking down the Guerreras...you have a weapon across the river just waiting to be fired,” She explained. “Use it.” I heard her heels click against the concert as I turned around to see her leaving the compound. 

I sighed before walking upstairs only to run into Daniel. “I’m assuming you heard all of that,” I stated.

“Yes,” Daniel replied.

“Good. I’ll leave it to you to relay it to Elijah,” I explained and walked down the hallway to my bedroom. Daniel grabbed my arm and I turned to him.

“You know what happened with the pack wasn’t your fault right?” Daniel asked and I ripped my arm from his grasp.

“Don’t bother lying to me so I feel better. I'm not in the mood for one of your motivating speeches,” I growled, then continued down the hallway.

On the way, I passed Klaus’s art room. The door was opened up a little bit and I looked inside. White canvas surrounded him, taunting him. Some were ripped and thrown to the other side of the room. He had his back to me, but our connection - and the environment around him - told me he was angry. Another full moon tonight. Another night of weakness for him. I opened my mouth to say something, to comfort him in some way but closed it quickly. How can I comfort him when I’m as broken as he is? He hasn’t even talked to me in 3 months - what’s going to make him start now?

I sped away to our bedroom and saw the door to Cordelia and Leo’s room open. I walked in and found Elijah packing up their nursery. He was calmly folding their blanket. I finally finished putting their room together and now you're taking it down! 

“What the fuck are you doing?” I exclaimed and he sighed. 

“Welcome back. What is it, the third night this week?” Elijah replied, passive-aggressively. 

“What are you doing?” I asked him again, annoyed.

“As we have discussed, our illusion needs to be flawless. Now, months have passed. It's the appropriate time,” Elijah explained to me.

“Appropriate time?!” I scolded him. “I finished putting their room together two months ago, Elijah, and now you're taking it down?”

“And it’s been four months since they left,” Elijah stated and looked at me. The eyes staring back at me however were dark and calculating. 

“Don’t give me that look, Elijah,” I walked closer to him and ripped the raven from his hand. Recently I placed each stuffed animal in the appropriate crib. “You’re not my older brother.”

I hit a nerve when I said that and Elijah opened his mouth again, “I understand this is difficult for you -” 

“- No you don’t! I’ve been ripped away from my children twice and you’ll never understand that pain! You’ll never know what it’s like to attend a funeral or memorial like that twice,” I hissed and Elijah looked at me with a blank expression. “What’s difficult is knowing Klaus is going to ignore me for the rest of time, Stefan is god knows where trying to click the reset button on his life, and that it is  _ my fault _ the pack is now following Jackson instead of Hayley. Then to top it all off, is the fact that somewhere in this city Francesca Guerrera is breathing while drinking a glass of red wine, after she was the one who plotted with the witches to kill my children.” 

“You will have your vengeance, I promise you this,” Elijah swore.

“And what about my little brother or the father of my kids? Can you promise that they’ll ever talk to me again?” I questioned and Elijah bowed his head. “You make all these promises but it never seems to come of anything.” There was a moment of silence. “Get out. This is my room, and I'll deem the time when it's  _ appropriate _ to clean it out.” I moved out of his way and watched as Elijah left my room silently.

I looked down at the stuffed animal in my hand. The raven I got for Leo. The raven that reminded me of Damon. I brought it up to my chest and held it close as I looked at the nursery in front of me. The sun shined on my son’s disassembled crib as I moved to hold onto my daughter's. Then I screamed as loud and hard as I could. Pushing all my pain into one noise before breaking into tears. Falling onto my knees, I dropped the raven in my hands before covering my face. 

After a while, I lifted my head and turned to the person behind me. Standing in front of me was Klaus, he looked sad at the sight in front of him. I sat down and leaned my back against our son’s crib, turning my gaze to my lap. Klaus will leave any second now. Why would he start to care now? Hearing footsteps I brought my knees to my chest and hugged them. The next thing I knew I was sitting in someone’s arms. I looked up and stared at Victor’s somber expression as he wiped away my tears. He tucked my head into his chest as I continued to cry. 

“I want them back,” I whimpered and pulled out my locket while squeezing it in my hand. “I want them all back.”

“I know, Alex,” Victor replied softly as he kissed my forehead. “I know.” After a few moments of silence he spoke up, “Elijah located the last few rings, and if my gut serves me right Jackson well be here to personally storm the compound.”

“I know.”

“What do you want to do?” Victor asked. 

“Keep your ears open. Jackson won’t confront me quietly,” I said to him. “Then you rip out his heart.”

####  ~Later that Night~

I sat at the opposite end of the table from Klaus. Victor, Daniel, Elijah, Klaus, and I were planning our attack against the Guerreras tonight. Klaus never took his eyes off of me and I never met his gaze. I kept staring at the golden A on my locket as I quietly flipped it over. 

“We're taking the twelve original rings. Now, four of them sit on the hands of the Guerrera brothers. One on Jackson, one on Francesca, three with the home security detail, and the rest scattered amongst her lackeys. Now, each ring is distinguishable by its setting - gauche, like those that wear them,” Elijah explained, although his voice was slightly muffled. I wasn’t hiding the locket under a table, it was out in the open. 

“If they believe they can get their hands on the stake, they will come for me when I am weak. Each ring you retrieve will strengthen me, but I will still be at a disadvantage,” Klaus said while shifting his gaze between me and my necklace. 

“Ergo, any hope of our success depends entirely upon us working together.” Elijah looked between Klaus and I. “The two of you can no longer afford to retreat to separate corners,” Elijah stated then finally looked at me. I didn’t lookup. I grazed over the engraving on the back. ‘For Eternity.’ The words almost made me laugh. “Alex?”

“Sorry,” I apologized and looked up while moving my locket to the inside of my pocket, “What were you saying, Elijah?” All the men shared a look and my attention turned to Klaus, who sighed. He was in pain. I could see it in his eyes. 

“This is our fight. Are you ready for battle, Alex?” Klaus asked me, carefully.

“Just promise me that Francesca and Jackson don't come out of this alive,” I replied.

“Their heads will be delivered to you on a silver platter, my queen,” Klaus reassured me.

“I'll deal with the last piece of the puzzle,” Elijah said. “As for the rest of you; Alex, you stay near the living room where Klaus will be because I know despite the way you two have been acting, you won’t let anything happen to him. Daniel, you stay on the bottom level and defend the compound from there. Victor, you go to Hayley in the Bayou in case Jackson attempts to come and collect the pack.” The original then left. Victor gave me a look and I nodded. He’d probably convince Daniel to switch jobs with him. They followed behind Elijah, leaving the room so Klaus and I were alone. 

Klaus stood up again and I sped over to him to help him stand up. He gave me a small smile. “Come on,” I said as I wrapped his arm around my neck and helped him to the living room

~

Klaus sat in front of a blank canvas. He hadn’t moved since the moon came out. The rings drain so much out of him, all he could do was stare in front of him. “Artist block?” I asked him and he chuckled. The moon wasn’t at its apex yet so I had time to kill.

“Is it that obvious?” He asked. I stood up from my place on the couch and kneeled beside him. Klaus looked down to where my locket normally hung on my neck. “Why’d you take it off?” 

“As a hybrid, it’s kind of pointless to wear a daylight necklace,” I explained. “Don’t you agree?” Klaus locked eyes with me, looking for the real reason like I knew he would, but soon he gave a small nod. I studied his expression, he looked happy to have me this close, and I was happy he was actually talking to me. Slipping my hands into his hair, I smiled at him and Klaus gave me a mischievous smirk while I softly rubbed his cheek. “There he is,” I whispered, but a question was in my head and I needed to ask it. “Why?” 

“Why what?” Klaus asked me. 

“Why have you been ignoring me?” I asked in return.

“At first, it was the pain I felt every time I looked at you. I saw our children, and I was reminded of how I failed to protect them from my enemies. Then I got a text from Stefan,” I looked at him confused. “He told me about Damon and how it was now my job to keep an eye on you, and I did my best but the truth is I don’t know how to help you or what to say to make you feel better.” I looked down. Stefan abandoned me. I thought he was just ignoring me, but no. He was gone. “The pain of sending away our children is unbearable, but to lose your brother too -”

“Stefan should have told you that words don’t comfort me,” I explained. “All you had to do was join me on a walk, or sit in the living room when I was stuck in my own thoughts. That would have been enough to prove you didn’t hate me.” 

“I could never hate you,” Klaus whispers and rests a hand against my cheek. “I love you too much to ever hate you.” He then pulled me into a soft kiss. I smiled and held him as close as I could, then pulled away. 

“Promise me you’ll never ignore me like that again,” I said and Klaus subconsciously grabbed my hand.

“I promise, sweetheart,” he replied before his breath hitched then exhaled in relief. 

“The rings?” I asked.

“They’re being removed from their owners,” Klaus answered. A pair of wolves jumped into the room we were in on the second floor. Klaus and I held a gaze as I stood up, and his hand fell out of my grasp before I turned to our intruders. 

“Well, this is a sight,” Jackson said, smugly. “The great Niklaus Mikaelson in need of protection from the woman he so dearly loves.” I glanced at Klaus and he nodded, letting me know he could handle the lackeys. 

“Do you seriously believe I can’t protect him?” I asked. “Because if you believe that then I think you and I should take this conversation elsewhere.” I sped towards him and he jumped down to the alleyway behind the compound. 

I followed him down and he laughed, “For someone who can protect him, you just left him alone with two wolves powered moonlight rings.”

“Believe me when I say Klaus can take them down. They're wearing moonlight rings that rip away his power meaning he’s beyond angry at them,” I explained to him. Jackson didn’t seem fazed.

“Either way, I have you right where I want you,” Jackson stated. 

“Same here,” I replied and Jackson swung the first punch. It was easy to dodge and catch the next one. “You know for an alpha you’re a really shitty fighter.” I twisted his arm around and held him to the wall.

“What now Alex? You're going to kill me?” Jackson asked.

“No,” I said and let go of him while stepping away. He turned around and saw Victor standing behind me. “He is.” I sped back into the compound and to Klaus. I saw him outlining a painting with the blood of the two men he killed. “Do all your paintings contain the blood of your enemies?” I asked him and he hummed, which is his version of a yes. 

Elijah walked in and looked at me. “I’m still not at full strength. Which of the rings are unaccounted for?” Klaus asked.

“Only one,” Elijah answered and never took his gaze off me. “She took a back road out of New Orleans. There’s nothing standing between the two of you now.” I smiled and sped away.

####  ~On a Backroad~

I stood in the middle of the road, hearing Francesca’s car driving towards me. This should be fun. She saw me standing there and stopped her car. I sped to the side of her car and opened up the door, then yanked her out of the car. She fell onto the ground in front of me and got up to run, but in a matter of seconds, I was in front of her again. 

“Please, Alex! Please! Let me go. Show a little mercy,” Francesca begged me. 

“Mercy?” I asked her as I pinned her to the car by her throat. “You want me to show you  _ mercy _ after what you did!” I raised her a bit so her feet were off the ground. “You think you can conspire with the witches to kill my kids and get away with it?” She struggled against my hold and I looked her dead in the eye. “News flash! You can’t,” I said joyfully and with a smile before my hybrid face showed up and I ripped off her head.

####  ~At the Compound~

When I got home I sped into Cordelia and Leo’s nursery. I can’t. Victor must have placed my children stuffed animals back in their cribs. I can’t. I shook my head as angry tears started to form. I looked at the teddy bear, which caused me sadness and then to the raven. The raven made me feel every emotion I’ve felt since Damon’s death ten times over.  _ I _ .  _ Can’t _ . I grabbed my locket from my jacket pocket before looking down at it and letting the tears fall. I screamed and turned around to throw it at the wall above my bed. Falling against the doorframe to the nursery I started to cry as the locket landed safely on my bed. I can’t.  _ I can’t _ !  **_I CAN’T_ ** !

“Alex! Alex-” Daniel’s voice stopped and he paused when he saw me in the doorframe. 

Daniel kneeled down and touched my arm softly, which caused me to jerk away from him. He looked at me concerned and worried, but I was exhausted and emotionally drained. I sat up, with my back leaning against the wall, as he quietly sat next to me. He didn’t say anything, just kept an eye on me, waiting for me to talk.

“I killed her. Francesca’s dead. I don’t know why it’s affecting me this way though, because I’ve killed thousands of people - yet this feels different.” I expected the baby hybrid to say something to me, but he didn’t. “I don't  _ feel _ better. No peace or comfort in knowing she’s dead. I don't feel  _ ANYTHING _ !” I yelled, getting frustrated with myself again. My heart still hurts. It still had a hole in the center of it.

“Alex-”

“Something’s missing, Daniel,” I cried as I finally crumbled in front of him. “You, Victor, Elijah, or Klaus, being here to comfort me doesn’t feel right and the pain is killing me.”

“You lost your older brother, Alex,” Daniel said softly. “For almost three months you’ve been in denial that he's truly dead. You’ve spent weeks staring at your phone waiting for Caroline, Stefan, or - hell - even Elena, to call and say he’s back with some crazy story on how. You even took off your necklace so you didn’t have to look at his photo and remember he was dead,” Daniel explained softly and rested his hand on my wrist. “It’s time to accept that he’s gone, Alex. Damon’s gone.” 

Those two words crushed me, not out of shock but out of truth. My head fell against the doorframe and Daniel pulled me into his arms. Damon’s gone. He’s dead. The idea was foreign and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t want to believe that the older brother I looked up to all my life was gone; the one who promised to never leave my side was  _ gone _ . That he was never coming back and my children were going to grow up in a world without him.

~

I laid in bed facing the window. Daniel left a while ago when I calmed down a bit. He placed my necklace on the bedside table next to me when I didn’t take it back. The gold shined in the moonlight and I was transfixed on it. Behind me, the bed dip and a strong arm pulled me against someone’s chest. I knew it was Klaus. This used to be the closest I got to him until today. He lightly kissed my shoulder. 

“Are you ok?” Klaus asked me as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

“No,” I confessed. “It feels like there’s a never-ending hole in my life where Damon used to be.”

“It will get better with time,” Klaus told me.

“No, it won’t,” I told him. “So don’t tell me that. I’ll never get to talk to him again and our children will never get to know him.” 

“I know of the grief you’re going through. This is how I felt when my younger brother Henrik died in my care,” Klaus informed me. It took me a moment before I grabbed his wrist, giving it a confronting squeeze. 

“It feels like someone has ripped out your heart, crushed it, shoved back inside you, and forced you to smile despite the pain,” I illustrated for him. 

“I’m sorry that you lost your brother, and I’m sorry Stefan is ignoring you in order to deal with the same pain. All I can promise you is that you will hold our children in your arms again and tell them all about your older brother, and how much you loved him. However, we need to regain the city in order to do so. We worked separately to unite those wolves once. We can work together to do it again. They don't need to be our enemies,” Klaus explained.

“After ambushing them, they're not going to want to be our friends, Klaus,” I said, finally looking away from my locket, and turning around to him.

“You waged a war on those who would harm your children! Not only will they respect you, but they will also answer to you!” He stated.

“Why would they do that now?” I asked and he smiled at me.

“Because you're their queen,” Klaus answered. I was about to contradict him, but I didn’t have the energy to do so. 

“What about all our other enemies? The witches won't stop even after they're dead,” I stated.

“We have defeated my mother and her witches before because we stood united.” He said and placed his hand on my cheek. “And that is how we will face all our enemies,” Klaus leaned in and kissed my forehead, then pulled me into his chest as I wrapped my arms around him. “As a family.” 

I nodded softly and stared at the open door to their nursery. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I can’t. It hurts too much. I wish I couldn’t feel anything. I let out a breath and felt an internal line cut. Peace...finally.


	3. Chapter 2

###  Alex’s P.O.V

The sun came through the window as I slowly opened my eyes. I felt Klaus’s chest move up and down with his slow breathing. He needs to wake up so we can work on getting our children back. I turned to lay on my back and stared at him. Klaus’s hair was everywhere and it covered his entire face. I turned so my back was now facing him again. There was a tiny bit of dust on the golden necklace across from me. I closed my eyes and went to get up, but before I could move to do so Klaus woke up. His grip on me got tighter and I glanced at Klaus as he began to open his eyes, only to squeeze them shut again because of the sun. 

Klaus pulled me closer to him, turned me to lay on my back again, and buried his face in my neck. “It’s too early,” Klaus complained, his voice muffled by my neck. I made a hum of acknowledgment. For the past two days I realized that if I just respond to Klaus, he doesn’t think anything of it. 

I smelt blood and looked over at the dead witch's body lying in the corner of the room. Klaus and I’s bloody footprints lead to the bathroom, showing the change between wolf and man halfway through. I felt a soft kiss on my neck and ran my hand through his hair ready to yank him off of me to get dressed. 

“Ahem,” A cough came from the doorway and I looked at Elijah. He gave us such a disappointed gaze as he looked for the witches' bodies then at back to us. 

“Good morning Elijah,” I said and remembered to add a little smile to my face, then move my finger through Klaus’s hair. Elijah was judging me. Oh well. It’s not my fault he painted a false image of me and was shocked by my actions. With those witches dead, I had fewer obstacles in my way. Klaus kissed my neck in a rougher fashion as I looked at the time. 

7:30. Half an hour wasted by lying in bed. Elijah didn’t seem fazed and my grip tightened slightly in Klaus' hair, which did the opposite of what I wanted, so I shoved him off of me. I walked over to our closet before he could try and kiss me. Our time in the shower last night was fun, and I was happy I bought birth control the day before, but I’m not wasting any more time on his affections towards me. I grabbed my clothes for the day and walked towards the bathroom in my pajamas. 

“He’s all yours,” I said to Elijah before closing the bathroom door. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and got dressed, slowly getting hungrier because of the blood smell in the bathroom. The bathroom door opened as Klaus walked inside, with Elijah following. 

“You two had an eventful evening,” The older original stated, and I shrugged. 

Klaus wrapped his arms around my waist and went back to kissing my neck. “Klaus wanted the location of the white oak, and I’d prefer to keep him alive so I went with him,” I answered as I bent over to fix my makeup. 

“Then would you like me to remove your leftovers?” Elijah asked me sarcastically. 

“If it’s not too much trouble,” I replied, before turning and giving Klaus a long kiss, which put an end to his neediness. I felt Elijah's intense gaze only on me and stared at him. “What?” I asked as I pushed Klaus back, so he’d let go, and put my makeup away before turning to Elijah. “These witches tried to kill my children meaning they’re worth nothing more than food.” 

Both men watched me as I left the bathroom to go downstairs. Elijah seemed to be calculating something, whereas Klaus was slightly annoyed with me. Victor and Daniel were making coffee when I walked in, and they turned to me. They held the same expression Elijah did, but with more concern for my well being. 

“Still not wearing your locket?” Daniel asked. 

“Nope,” I answered while popping the ‘p’. “This necklace goes with my outfit better.” I stared into the fridge, searching for a blood bag. When I turned around, I noticed Daniel had his hands raised defensively, although I didn’t understand why. Victor, on the other hand, rolled his eyes at my tone, then did a double-take as he misheard me. He’d be the first. 

“Um,” Victor answered sharply. “Your daily outfit has never stopped you from wearing that necklace ever since you’ve received it.” I shrugged and sat down at the island table.

“If you wish to psychologically analyze me because of a little piece of fake gold, that’s your choice,” I stated as I brought the little plastic tube to my lips before walking towards the courtyard. “But I don’t have the time to waste on inconvenient things. The necklace reminded me of Damon and I couldn’t bear the constant reminder, so I took it off. People grieve in different ways, guys,” I walked out to the courtyard when I stopped since Victor and Daniel sped in front of me. “What now?!” I whined. 

“Are you ok?” Daniel asked me.

“I’m fine, now move out of my way,” I responded. “Hayley texted me saying she needs help finding the pack in the Bayou.” Victor stared at me, thinking to himself, and not moving out of my way. 

“Are you sure?” Daniel asked me again. “Look I know Elijah’s disappointed because he finally saw how alike you and Klaus are. To be honest, he always thought you were a little better, which would make Klaus better, but that’s not the case when it comes to you two.” 

“Why are you so defensive about this?” I questioned. Daniel was in shock while Victor gave me a worried look. 

“No,” Victor whispered. “Please tell me you didn’t,” He placed his hand on my cheek and searched my eyes for something. “Tell me you didn’t turn it off?” Victor asked me, hopeful that I would say no. I didn’t answer him. No reason to lie to the poor man. The only people I need to lie to in order to get on my side is the pack. Victor grabbed my shoulders and got in my face, “Answer me, Alex!” 

I shoved him off of me. “So what if I did?! Why do you care? It doesn’t affect you in any way. This way I don’t have my emotions getting in the way of me and making this city safe for my children,” I explained to him. 

Klaus came down the stairs, while Elijah looked at us from the balcony above. “Do we have a problem here?” My boyfriend asked and I simply turned around to him. 

“Nope, but it’s a good thing you're here. I need your help to find the rest of my pack in the Bayou,” I said.

“Surely you can do that on your own,” Klaus replied.

“Yes, but it will go quicker with two Hybrids. Then we can move onto the next part of the city we have to fix,” I stated and grabbed his hand before walking out of the compound with him. 

####  ~At the Bayou~

Hayley texted saying she was at the compound now with Victor and Daniel. I’m sure Victor’s going to update them on my emotional status now. God, that means there will now be three people more worried about me than cleaning up the city. What a waste. As for Elijah, Klaus said he went out. Good thing too, I don’t need him figuring out my switch is flipped. He’ll immediately lock me up, which means I can’t do what I need to. I had a weird feeling Klaus knew he just didn’t care. 

We walked through the Bayou looking for the pack. Their scent was fresh but not enough to follow so I see why Hayley asked for help. “So what did Elijah say to you after I left?” I asked him. I couldn’t stand the silence while I rummaged through a tent looking for a piece of clothing or a stronger scent trail. 

“That you’re losing your humanity,” Klaus replied and I groaned. 

“Why does everyone care about that?” I mumbled. Klaus walked over to me and forced me to look at him. 

“You turned it off,” He said and I ripped my arm from his grasp, going back to looking for a scent.

“Yeah, and it’s not your decision for whether I do or don’t,” I stated as I picked up a flannel. “Also do you even care about Leo and Cordelia coming home?” 

“Of course I do!” Klaus exclaimed. “How could you think I don’t?”

“I only ask because all you’ve done is look for that  _ stupid _ white oak stake, which doesn’t do shit in fixing the city.” I sniffed the flannel and found the trail. “Come on they’re this way,” I stated. I walked in the right direction and Klaus followed behind me quietly. Why did I bring him again?

“You know they’re not going to welcome you back with open arms. Two nights ago you killed a whole lot of werewolves to give me back my strength. Not to mention they hate hybrids in general,” Klaus explained to me.

I stopped and turned to him, “Are you seriously trying to diminish my power right now? Can you not let go of your leadership role long enough for me to get things done, so I can bring our kids home? I mean you’re the one who told me I was a queen, so here I am being one. And as for your question, I’ll lie to the pack so they do trust me,” I explained and it seemed to shut him up. 

I turned back around and hid behind some bushes. We watched Oliver and the rest of the Crescents in the Bayou, they were gathering up their belongings in a clearing. Sadly, I saw no one from Klaus’s pack. Bummer fewer people to help us. 

“So, Jackson’s dead, meaning Oliver automatically becomes Alpha, and your pack is nonexistent,” I said. “Happily for us, my birthmark didn’t disappear recently meaning I’m still part of the pack.”

“My pack is not nonexistent, they could have moved to a different part of the Bayou when Jackson took over,” Klaus explained. 

“Either way, we need to get my pack out of the witches grasp,” I explained to him. I came out from the bushes and made my way towards the group of Crescents as Klaus followed behind me. They turned to face me and defensively formed a circle around us.

“The hell do you two want?” Oliver asked us.

“Hold your tongue, or I'll tear it from your gaping mouth,” Klaus threatened, beating me by one second, and I held up my hand. One) you don’t need to play the protective boyfriend right now, darling. It’s not the time. And two) now I have to act caring, with a dash of anger, towards them. Making my life a whole lot harder. 

“Ignore him,” I stated. Speech time.“We don’t want a fight, Oliver. Our pack is divided by people who want us to be their slaves,” Which is your fault. “And I’m sorry that I wasn’t here to stop that.” I looked at the other crescents before taking a deep breath. “You need a leader.” Truth. “Someone who will reunite us and make us strong again. Someone who will fight for our pack. If you let us - Hayley, Victor, and I - we can do that, but you have to trust us.” Which will all fall apart when they realize I don't have my emotions on. 

“You think we can trust you?” No, and I don’t expect you to, but it would make my life easier if you did. “You're not one of us! Hell, you're not even a wolf, you haven’t been since the moment you came here. Jackson knew that and that’s why he left,” Oliver stated. Jackson left because he was an asshole. You should really be thankful that Victor killed him on my order. 

“And what about Hayley?” I asked him as I walked closer to Oliver. “No matter what you think of me, she is one of you and she is a damn good leader.” Actually, I’m not sure how good of a leader she is, but with me, by her side, she’ll be fine. “Hayley’s been looking for you a lot over the past few weeks, but you, Oliver, have been keeping them hidden from her when all she wants to do is help.” There were whispers around the pack. Shocker, Oliver didn’t tell you that bit. 

“How was I supposed to know that you weren’t manipulating her so you two could get your own personal army?” Oliver asked me, defending himself and I laughed in his face. 

“That’s rich considering the witches are trying to do the same thing.” Oliver was silent. “I’ll say this one more time so you better listen,” I looked at the pack behind him. “I don’t want an army. I never have.” Lie, I want one right now to defend my children when I bring them home. “Not to mention I would never manipulate Hayley because she is my family,” Truth. “Like all the crescents are.” Lie. “It took me a long time to find them and I’ll be damned if I let you or any witch rip it away from me.” Truth. 

“Tough girl, you're gonna attack me? In front of all of them? It’ll just give them another reason to say yes to Cassie and her moonlight rings.” Thank you for telling me that. Now we have the witch’s name. “They would rather follow a witch than you. Me? Hell, I'd rather die than follow you,” He spat. Klaus beat me to it again and knocked Oliver flat on his back before he stomped on his chest with his boot.

“Well, at least you didn't drag this out,” Klaus commented. Agreed.

“Let him go, Klaus!” I yelled. Emotions. So easy to fake. Raise your voice slightly and they think you’re angry. 

“You need to learn about the art of politics, love. You gain support by killing your detractors!” He explained although he knew I already knew that. I walked up to Klaus which made him stare at me. 

“They may not like me very much, or trust my intentions, but these people, including Oliver, are my family. Let him go.  _ Now _ .” I growled and that’s the most bullshit I have said today. I need Oliver to trust my lie, so the rest of them will trust me and not second guess my intentions, not because of his ‘family.’ Klaus smirked, spotting that they believed my act, and looked around at all of the wolves who were watching intently, before releasing Oliver. 

“You see? There's your queen. Powerful, fearless, and, unlike me, merciful,” I’m not merciful. If I was Rosalita would still be alive. He turned to address me. “These people need to show you more respect.” No shit. “How you handle them now is up to you,” Klaus explained and turned to leave. I fake confusion when really I was glad to see him leave. 

“Where the hell are you going?” I asked him and he turned back to me.

“I'm going to find this witch. Seems I need to educate her as to what she may or may not do in my city,” He explained and sped away from us. I looked down at Oliver for a moment. Show emotion. I held out my hand to him, and he looked at it for a while before taking it as I pulled him back up. 

I looked around and sighed. “You guys can stay at the compound for now. Hayley and Victor are waiting for us there, not to mention we have a lot of empty rooms. So grab your stuff and let’s go,” I explained. Everyone looked at each other and I sighed. “Now! Move it.” They then nodded and grabbed their stuff, as I turned back to Oliver. “Where are the others? The ones from Klaus’s pack.” 

“I don’t know,” Oliver answered. “When I came here they were gone. Someone mentioned that they went north looking for a new Alpha.”

“So they’ve just left New Orleans?” I asked.

“No,” Oliver stated. “They are still in New Orleans, just not in this part of the Bayou. I guess they heard about the witches and didn’t want any part in it.”

“Can’t say I blame them,” I confessed. My life would be easier if I didn’t have to deal with finding them, but when have I ever had life that easy? 

“When Klaus and you locked yourselves up that’s when Francessca and the witches took their chance. Hayley and Victor left soon after that too, to make sure you stayed sane,” Oliver explained. Well, they failed.

Remember fake emotion by saying the right words. “Look all I can say is if I knew, I wouldn’t have let her stay at the compound, but we will reunite the pack, trust me. I won’t rest until we do,” I promised. 

####  ~At the Compound~

I told Oliver to go back to the witches because I need someone on the inside. It was night time when I got all the wolves to the compound. I texted Hayley telling her to come to the courtyard. Victor and she were standing in the compound when we came in and I smiled. Hayley returned it while Victor stared at me. Guess he hasn’t told Hayley yet. Right now, she was happy that Klaus and I managed to find the pack. 

I turned to the pack and addressed them, “Hello and welcome to my humble abode. All the rooms on the first floor are available, and I’ll leave you guys to figure out where you would like to sleep. Hayley, Victor, Oliver, and I will keep you updated on anything to do with the witches. The kitchen is straight back there, and the bathrooms are upstairs. If you have any questions feel free to ask the three of us.” They nodded and Hayley walked up to help them. I went upstairs when I felt Victor grab my arm and speed me to a different room. 

“Really?” I asked them when the door to Daniel's room locked behind us. 

“You turned it off,” Daniel stated and I turned to see him pacing. Victor was standing by the door, ready to stop me if I tried to leave. I crossed my arms and turned back to the pacing hybrid. 

“So? Why do you care?” I asked. 

“Why do you think, Alex?!” Daniel exclaimed. 

“You’re overreacting, Daniel,” I told him.

“Actually I think he’s reacting perfectly,” Victor said and I rolled my eyes. 

“Look I don’t have time for this,” I said and walked to Victor. He only looked at me. “Move,” I commanded.

“No,” Victor shot back. 

“You do realize you're keeping me from my children by forcing me to stay here right?” I asked him.

“Do  _ you _ realize how selfish it is to turn off your emotions at this time?!” Daniel snapped and I turned to him again. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him angry. It’s quite funny. “We are in the definition of a shit show. The witches are teaming up with the werewolves to take us down, along with Marcel considering how he’s been pushed out of the city. Now you might have saved a handful of your pack, but the witches have the rest under their thumbs. Elijah and Klaus are doing their best to get the city under the order and we need your help.”

“I am helping,” I stated. “Hell, I’m more productive than any of you!”

“How so?” Victor asked. “You’re not trying to clean up the city, you’re trying to get to your children...which is never going to happen-”

I rolled my eyes, “Unless we clean up the city, I know, Victor.” I cut him off.

“Then why turn off your emotions?” Victor asked.

“Because mourning took up time that I didn’t have,” I answered then walked a tiny bit closer to Victor. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” I moved to snap his neck but he was quicker and pinned my hands to the door I was trying to walk out of. 

“If you become a problem, I will lock you in the basement of this house and torture you until you decide to turn it on,” Victor threatened. “Do you understand me?” I thought we were going to have another stare off, but Victor simply let me go and watched as I walked out. Weird. I went to the living room, which is where I intended to go before I was confronted. Sitting down on one of the couches, Klaus and Elijah made their way into the room. Klaus immediately went to the liquor cart while Elijah stood behind him with his arms crossed. 

“So how was your day?” I asked them, in order to keep Elijah off my back. The last thing I need is him figuring out I don’t have emotions. 

“Are we running a kennel now?” Klaus snapped and I turned to him.

“You wanted me to lead them and this is me leading. As long as they’re here they’re not with the witches,” I answered. “Also your pack seems to have gone up north for a bit, having heard something about a new Alpha or something along those lines. I’ll check it out tomorrow unless something more concerning comes up.”

“Well, I don't see Oliver amongst them. Am I to assume you finished him off?” Elijah questioned, with a judging look. Why would I do that? That’s very unhelpful. 

“No,” I answered. “We made a deal. He'll pledge his loyalty to Cassie, report back, and tell me everything that he learns.” I turned back to Klaus to see him downing a glass of bourbon before grabbing the bottle. Emotionless or not I know when something’s wrong. “What happened?” I sighed. I guess it’s time to add things to the to-do list. 

Klaus turned to me with a blank stare. Oh, so now  _ you’re _ judging me? “It’s worse than we thought,” Klaus replied. “I met the witch. Cassie.” You have my attention. “I studied her - her presence. The way she carried herself. The fervor with which she voiced her hatred of our kind. I looked into that girl’s eyes and I swear to you...she is not just guided by our mother, she is our mother.”

I leaned back into the couch and rolled my eyes, “And this is what I warned you guys about many months ago,” I stated. 

Elijah looked at me for a brief moment, like he was doing a double-take. Has he finally noticed the dead look in my eyes, despite my words and actions? Did he finally catch up with Victor and Daniel? I saw Elijah put a metal pin in his thoughts about me, so he could come back to it later. He then turned to his brother, with a confused and shocked expression. 

“What is happening?” Elijah asked. 

“I’m going to kill her,” Klaus said. Not unless I get to her first. Your mother is my number one enemy right now. “I will boil her bones and feed them to the dogs if that’s what it takes.” 

“Niklaus,” Elijah addressed his brother, which only seemed to annoy Klaus. I was sitting silently on the couch as I watched the show in front of me.

“What?!” Klaus exclaimed. “What could possibly be more important than the return of our mother?” 

“Our father,” Elijah stated and my head snapped to Elijah. Now I have to factor Mikael into this equation? God-fucking-damn it! Elijah walked closer to Klaus and I. “I saw him standing there in the flesh as you do now. He was enslaved with some sort of spell cast by Davina. He holds the stake. If she chooses to release him…” The original trailed off as everything sunk in. If Davina lets Mikael go, there’s no hesitation that he’ll come after us. The witches once again have ruined my entire plan.

“Well then,” They looked over at me as I stood up. “Which one of your psychotic parents do we kill first?”


	4. Chapter 3

###  Alex’s P.O.V

It was noon as I walked out onto the patio and overlooked the courtyard. Klaus was in the living room coming up with a plan with Elijah, but at the moment it was more arguing than actual planning. If they would both shut up I could tell them what I was thinking. After a while, the boredom of watching them fight kicked in and I walked out. With Esther and Mikael back from the dead, I stayed up all night reworking my plan while Klaus slept next to me. I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and looked down to see a few texts from Caroline (old ones I never answered), and one from Marcel (which was a simple “Hey”). 

I put my phone away and looked down to see a table covered in fruit with a silver lid on top of a platter. I stared at it for a while and was about to ask Klaus if this was his idea, but then I listened in on their conversation. “ _ If you barge in- _ ” Elijah exclaimed. Never mind then. 

As I walked down the stairs, someone made their way into the compound. It’s probably Victor or Daniel. They’ve been on my tail since last night. Ok, that’s not as long as I’m making it out to be, but it felt like forever. Imagine the relief I felt when I didn’t hear their voice. 

“You know you guys didn’t need to do this,” I looked over to see Kol as I stopped in front of the fruit table. “The promise of sending my parents back to hell is enough to make me come back to this wretched city,” Kol explained with a smirk. Thank god for Kol. His arrival made Klaus and Elijah walk out of the room upstairs.

“So...which restaurant's missing a compelling chef?” I asked them as I turned around.

“While it's a card I've played in the past, I had no hand in this…” Klaus explained, as he sped downstairs and wrapped an arm around my waist. 

I looked at Elijah and he responded, “This wasn't my doing…” I looked back at the table with Klaus. 

“Then, where did this all come from?” Kol questioned. The silver lid on the platter suddenly began to rattle, which startled everyone but me. Klaus looked uneasy and lifted the platter, which released two birds that flew up toward the ceiling, causing us to reflexively duck to avoid being hit. “What the bloody hell was that?” Kol exclaimed while Klaus grabbed the small piece of white paper on the plater. 

“An invitation from our mother,” Klaus said, after opening it and I looked over his shoulder.

“Dinner. Your home. Eight pm. P.S. make sure to invite Alex and Kol.” I read out loud and looked at Kol.

“Looks like mommy dearest knows I’m back,” Kol sighed. “So much for wanting to make an entrance.” I kept my eyes on the note in Klaus’s hand. Well, I didn’t plan for this.

~

I was lying flat on the bed, reworking my plan - again - when I noticed something. It was small but strong and bright. Emotion. I turned my head to look at Klaus who was standing on the balcony connected to our room. I don’t know how, but it was because of him. Somehow Klaus kept the tiniest bit of emotion in me. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t hinted towards me being emotionless. Maybe it’s because he knows it’s not all gone. Closing my eyes again, I went to snuff it out when Klaus walked back in. 

“You’re not going,” Klaus stated, and I opened my eyes as he stormed back into our room. He was still holding the invitation and I didn’t move to sit up. 

“Yes, I am,” I answered. “Your mother wants me there for a reason, and I would like to know that reason.” 

“I’ll tell you the reason. She wants to kill you swiftly because she failed the last time.” Klaus explained, and this caused me to sit up. 

“Ok, now you’re being paranoid,” I said to him. “I can handle myself.” Klaus stared into my eyes and placed a hand on my cheek. 

“I can’t lose you,” He confessed and I didn’t respond. Instead, I took the invasion from his hand. Klaus watched me as I opened the letter and read it over, examining it. My actions seem to change the subject. “We have enough enemies here. And now, the war for our home is to be fought against my own family,” Klaus groaned. 

“To me, she’s just another enemy that tried to kill my family and failed,” I stated. “If I have to kill her to make sure our kids are safe...you and your brothers won’t be able to stop me.” Klaus only smiled at me. 

“You will do no such thing,” Elijah's voice announced.

“Why not Elijah?” Kol asked and I turned to see the two of them at the entrance of our bedroom. “It’s not like she doesn’t deserve it.”

“Thank you, Kol,” I complimented and gave a fake smile to Elijah. 

“While she might deserve it for many reasons,” You think? “Esther's a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a new host,” Elijah elaborated. Maybe I should just scrap my plan? Since every time I make a new one, more information comes in that makes me have to change it. 

“Well, her last invitation was an assassination attempt on all her children. I think we can assume her intentions aren’t all that great,” Klaus explained and Elijah shrugged.

“Well, then. We have -” The oldest original checked his watch. “- this afternoon to prepare for the worst,” Elijah said to us and left. 

~

I was still in the bedroom, going through my closet looking for a good thing to wear tonight. Klaus was in the dining room, where he was making arrangements for tonight’s dinner with a group of, presumably compelled, caterers. Kol walked in and I poked my head out of the closet. 

“Need any help?” He asked and I shook my head.

“Nah, I think I need to go shopping though or get Klaus’s ass back up here so he can help me pick a dress. Your brother has a good sense of style surprisingly,” I told him.

“Fashion is another form of art, so when you think of it, it’s not surprising at all,” Kol explained. “But I could help you if you want. Over a thousand years I’ve developed the same skill.”

“I would take you up on the offer if I had anything good to wear,” I said. 

“Come on, humor me. I have nothing else to do before this horrendous dinner party kicks off.” I paused. I had been avoiding Kol, it’s not like he annoyed me - how could he when I didn’t feel anything - but there was a gut instinct to stay away from him. Like if I hung around this sarcastic, charming idiot, he’d remind me of feelings I felt a long time ago for someone else. 

“Not unless you want your head removed from your body,” Klaus told him and I poked my head out again. “Still can’t figure out what to wear?” 

I didn't say anything and my boyfriend walked into the room. Klaus chuckled me when he saw me staring at the clothes in front of me. I was in grey leggings and one of his shirts since all of mine were in the washer. He wrapped his arms around me and looked at the dresses I had been staring at as I leaned into his chest. 

“Wear the blue one,” Klaus recommended and kissed my shoulder. I pulled out the dark blue one and I felt his smirk on the crook of my neck. “No,” Klaus reached out and showed me the [light blue dress](https://www.lulus.com/products/song-of-love-blue-grey-off-the-shoulder-maxi-dress/595912.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=595912&utm_campaign=PLA_gowns&pla=1&s_kwcid=AL%217824%213%21337857861739%21%21%21g%21866048821354%21&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7aPyBRChARIsAJfWCgLfO1G_BNucaeK0l-top72j-2meYTVOozR2-wxs2rrrAkS5gPLWrd0aAkWLEALw_wcB) next to it. “This one. It brings out your eyes.”

“Ok,” I said and grabbed it, before turning around in his arms. 

Klaus stole a kiss from me before I managed to shove him out of the closet so I could get changed. I pulled off my shirt when I heard my phone buzz in the next room. I walked out of the closet in only my bra and leggings, not caring about Kol’s stare or the fact that Klaus looked like he was about to kill his little brother, as I read the text Oliver just sent me. 

I looked at the two men in the room, “I guess keeping Oliver alive turned out useful,” I stated. “He just texted me that your mother has partners-in-crime...two witches.” Kol was still eyeing me as Klaus sighed. 

“Building alliances in her quest to destroy us, I imagine,” Klaus said, then snapped Kol’s neck when he wouldn’t look away from me. I looked between the both of them, as Klaus came up to me and pulled me into his chest. “Next time one of my brothers is in the room with us, do me a favor and put on a shirt. I don’t like them seeing what’s mine.” I stared at him for a moment before shrugging and going into the closet. 

There was a burning desire in me to smile and tell him I was only his, and I knew it was coming from that little spark that stayed alive in my heart. It was fighting so hard to grow stronger. I closed my eyes again and snuffed it out...or at least I tried. Again and again and again, but it won’t go out. It was like it had its own life support outside of myself. I looked down and saw the soulmate symbol on my chest. Oh. I looked outside to see Klaus walking out of our bedroom with his brother’s body over his shoulder. After he left I stood in the closet trapped in my own thoughts. 

The soulmate bond, that’s where this spark was getting its power, but how do I shut it off. Klaus’s emotions, maybe? No, that won’t work. I need him to keep it on since he’d be useless without them. Break his heart? No, I proved it didn’t work when I ran away from Mystic Falls. Am I doomed to live with this annoyance inside of me now, cause the last thing I need is for this to turn into a gateway for the rest of my emotions. 

There was a knock behind me and I looked up to see Hayley standing there. “Oh, hi,” I said, then continued to get dressed. 

“Hey, so I wanted to ask you...Did you really turn it off?” Hayley asked me as I slid the dress over my head. 

“So Victor told you,” I said and bent down to get my heels. 

“Alex,” Hayley paused. “Why would you do that?” She asked me.

“I was in pain, and I didn’t want to feel anything,” I explained as I walked past her and sat on the bed. “I finally understand what Ripper Stefan feels like when Damon and I confronted him now,” I slipped on my heels and she looked at me surprised. “Plus I’m more efficient this way and I can work harder to get my children home.” 

“And what’ll happen when you see them again,” That made me pause. “Everything, all that pain you didn’t want to feel will become worse and rush to the surface, versus how it would have felt if you’d mourned and learned to live with that pain,” Hayley explained. I stared at her and didn’t say anything, which caused her to sigh, “Look just come downstairs, we have something to tell you.” I opened my mouth but closed it when I realized Hayley left the room. 

Truth. 


	5. Chapter 4

###  Alex’s P.O.V

The Mikaelson men and I were sitting in our spots for dinner. Klaus was at the head of the table, with me on his right. Elijah sat across from me with Kol beside him, since Klaus doesn’t want him anywhere near me. Although Elijah was standing behind his chair facing Victor, Daniel, and Hayley as they updated us. 

“Marcel's witch is being held captive in the Quarter,” Daniel announced. Ok, I didn’t even know Marcel had a witch. 

“Wonderful! Mother's a step ahead, as usual,” Kol groaned. 

“Oliver's with her,” Hayley adds on. 

“So, go and get them,” I said.

“No!” Victor exclaimed. “You’re not putting her in danger for your own gain, Alex.” This caused Elijah and Kol to look at me. Klaus and I kept our eyes on Victor. “Hayley isn’t like us. She isn’t a hybrid.” 

“And if you go what’ll happen?” I asked him. “Esther knows who you are and what you look like. Meaning she’ll have people that will report back saying you talked to Oliver. Hayley is our best option.” Everyone looked at me and Hayley nodded in agreement. 

“I'll go. I'll get her to do the spell, but I need the necklace,” Hayley said and I turned to Klaus. What necklace? Klaus sighed and pulled out a necklace from his pocket before walking it over to her. Why does he have this necklace? What did I miss?

Hayley took it from him, “Thank you,” She said and turned to me. “Keep your phone on. If you get and S.O.S-”

“I’ll come over,” I said in reassurance.

“So will I,” Victor added on immediately. I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my seat as Hayley nodded, then turned to leave. 

“Wait!” Elijah called out, causing Hayley to turn around. “There's something else. A disciple of Marcel's was instructed to fetch another ingredient. Ask for Gia,” Elijah told her and she hesitated. OH! So the witch needs the necklace for the spell. Ok, that makes sense...kind of.

“Okay,” She said and left. Victor looked at me in anger, while Daniel had his head bowed as he leaned against the doorframe behind his friend. 

“If she gets hurt-” 

“She won’t!” I cut Victor’s threat off. “Hayley has survived on her own since she was thirteen years old, Victor. Stop making her out to be your damsel in distress.” Victor was fuming, while everyone else was shocked by my words. Again, raising your voice equals emotions in their heads. 

“She’s going up against Esther, Alex,” Daniel stated. “He has a right to be worried.”

“He also has the right to trust Hayley can protect herself,” I snapped back. “She’s a grown-ass woman, and if Esther goes after her I’ll protect her.”

“You don’t feel anything, Alex!” Victor exclaimed. So much for keeping Elijah and Kol in the dark. Actually, Kol would’ve worked it out by the end of the night. “You really think I trust you?!”

“She’s my family. Emotions or not, I protect my family.” I stated possessively. “Now, shoo. I’m sure the rest of the Mikaelsons will be arriving soon.”

Victor stood up, his shoulders square before storming out of the room. Daniel looked at me for a couple of seconds before following his friend. I looked to Kol, Klaus, and Elijah. Elijah looked shocked, Kol was surprised, and Klaus had an amused smile on his face. Of course, you would find this amusing. I rolled my eyes at them before standing up and walking out. I didn’t need to be here for another hour anyway.

####  ~An Hour Later~

Elijah and Klaus are both wearing fancy suits. Kol was wearing a button-down shirt, obviously not caring how he looked. They were adding last minute things, like opening the wine. Once it was open, Kol took it from Elijah’s hands and poured some into his glass. He then looked at me and walked over to pour some in mine. Kol’s surprise wore off by now and he was as amused as Klaus when it came to my nonexistent emotions. Klaus was leaning against the back of his chair, staring at the table with a scowl on his face.

“Are these outfits really necessary?” Klaus asked annoyed.

“Appearance is a way of showing respect, Niklaus. Mother will be more likely to surrender her true intentions,” Elijah said to him then turned to Kol. 

“Please, our mother’s guard isn’t going to drop just 'cause you two are dressed like bloody lawyers,” Kol said in response to his older brother's look. Elijah ignored him and lit the candles in the dining room.

“We need every advantage we can get, Kol,” He explained to his little brother.

“You always did excel in diplomacy, Elijah.” This caused us to look at my boyfriend. “Just know, if she tries anything, I'll tear her new body to pieces,” Klaus informed him. 

“And if he fails to do so, I will,” I budded in, with Klaus smirking at my words. Elijah looked at me like I was a stranger, then glanced down with disappointment. 

A man laughed dramatically at our conversation as he walked into the room. “You four haven't changed a bit!” Um, who are you? He looked at Elijah. “Linens and silk to disguise your pathetic self-loathing,” He then turned to Kol. “Same goes to you about your smirks and one-liners that push everyone away, making you feel more alone than you already do,” The stranger then looked at Klaus. “Then you - despite the arrogant façade, you're still the same paranoid little boy, full of hate and fear,” Lastly he looked at me. “And last, but certainly not least - the lovely Alexandria. Loyal to her family, yet when the big bad wolf came along, you ran away with him and left that family all alone,” He said, analyzing each of us as if he was exposing our darkest secrets. Which he wasn’t.

I looked at the three men around me to see they were all offended. Ok, maybe he did for them, but my love for Klaus isn’t a secret. Elijah looked at his brothers in confusion, then me to see if the stranger's words affected me in any way, before turning to the man and walking towards him. “Forgive me, I don't believe I've had the pleasure,” Elijah said to him and the stranger feigned offense.

“Oh, you mean you don't recognize me?” When no one answered he scoffed. “So much for the unbreakable bonds of family, huh? Always and forever indeed,” He sneered. Klaus began to scowl when he realized who he was, but Elijah and Kol remained confused and on edge. 

“It's been a long time, Finn,” Klaus said angrily. I looked at the stranger, now Finn, again. Ok, so when Esther came back she brought back her most loyal son...makes sense. 

“Should’ve known you’d have stayed close to mummy dearest,” Kol mocked him. 

Finn smirked and spread his arms out wide in the typical ‘Mikaelson man’ stance, before saying, “Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's eat!”

~

Elijah was pouring Finn a glass of wine. Finn wafts his wine, under his nose as I grab my glass. I hadn’t had a drink since I was pregnant. “What an aromatic Bardot,” Finn said politely.

“Well, it was a challenge to find a good pairing. What wine goes well with treachery?” Klaus asked as Finn sat down.

“Don't pout, brother. Tonight's meant to be a happy occasion!” Finn said and whispered something in one of the servers' ears, which made me suspicious.

“What exactly are we celebrating?” Elijah asked him.

“Why, my return, of course! Remember, I spent...nine hundred years -” He looked at Klaus for confirmation. “- right?...lying daggered in a box. I'm rather enjoying this new body. Strolling about your lovely city that, uh, you've made your home. But, do tell me - what'd I miss? Regale me with your contributions to society. Literature? Philosophy? Art?” Finn asked. Klaus rolled his eyes, already tired of this conversation. “Or, have you two merely cut a path of destruction across time?” He looked at me. “What do you think, Alex?” 

“The last time we met, you were helping our mother try to annihilate the lot of us. Let's not throw stones in glass houses,” Klaus said, taking the spotlight off of me despite the fact that I could have answered the question. I noticed that the caterers were placing another two plates, glasses, and sets of silverware on the table a couple of seats down from me, and I became confused.

“Are we expecting more guests?” I asked Finn. The oldest Mikaelson gestured to the end of the table.

“Our mother will sit at the head. And as for the seat across from me, that's reserved for another of our clan. Care to wager an educated guess because I’ll doubt you’ll get it right. How about one who was cheated out of death before we became the beasts our parents turned us into?” Finn asked. I looked at the table. Elijah didn’t know the answer, Kol cared about as much as I did, and Klaus raised his eyebrows. “Really Niklaus? Have you forgotten about him so easily?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see the point in your little guessing game,” I said to Finn and he looked at me. 

“You wouldn’t, but you do understand the pain of losing a sibling, don’t you?” Finn asked. “I mean you were the one who found both of your siblings dead in the middle of the road after you were killed.” How the hell did he know that? “Then again, it’s not like you carried their dead bodies back to your family.” There was silence and I saw Elijah looking at Klaus. I didn’t need to look at the emotions running in his eyes. Finn was talking about Henrik. Guess I would react the same way if I felt something and Finn mentioned Damon. 

“Do you want us to believe that you brought your youngest sibling back from the dead?” I asked him.

“Why would I lie?” Finn asked. “Our mother jumped at the chance to bring him back and give him a second chance at the life Klaus ripped away from him. Although I will admit at first he wasn’t on board with our plan...still loyal to his siblings and slightly confused...However, our mother made such a compelling argument that he agreed. Change is inevitable,” Finn explained.

“You would dare face us as a mortal? The only thing inevitable is your death,” Klaus spat and flung a knife at him, but Finn easily deflected it with magic, causing the knife to instead embed itself into the chair at the head of the table. 

“Oh!” Finn removed the knife from the chair and held it aloft. “I suppose the honor of carving should go to the oldest. We have much to discuss,” Finn said with a smile.

~

“I'm rather enjoying my evening,” Finn said to us.

“I'd rather enjoy you getting to the point,” I said, frustrated with him.

“Oh, darling Alexandria, do you even know why you were invited to this?” Finn asked. “It’s because our mother feels  _ so bad  _ for you.”

“If this is an attempt at an apology for trying to kill me twice then killing my children when that failed,” I said to him. “It’ll take a lot more than a dramatic dinner party to win me over.”

“She blames herself for not relieving your greatest burden. The one that comes from being loved by this family, by Niklaus.” I rolled my eyes. This story again. Great. “I mean, it robbed you of another chance to be a mother and when your brother died you didn’t even get to say goodbye,” Finn explained.

“If you really want to go down that road then you should know that I don’t feel anything,” I stated.

“You don’t have to feel anything to know whether it’s true or not. I mean, think about it?” He asked. “You lost so many people because of this family and, yet you stay loyal to them?” 

“Klaus is the father of my children; Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah, along with whoever else your mother brought back, are their uncles and aunt even in their death,” I answered. “That makes you all my family, and like you said I’m protective when it comes to family. Nothing more.” Finn chuckled at me and looked at Klaus. However, I believe you might be the exception to that if you keep talking.

“I had nine hundred years to learn to be patient with this family. Although, I am curious why you kept me daggered in a box for so long, and neither of you decided to fight him on it,” Finn said to his brothers, changing the subject since he realized he couldn’t affect me with his words. 

“You were daggered for being an ever simpering sycophant,” Kol explained. 

“As if the wild fox cares for nothing and listens to anyone but itself. Our brothers mean nothing to you, Kol, just admit it. You’re only here because in your mind our mother poses a threat to you,” Finn said. “You were daggered for the reasons I just mentioned. Why would you change now?” Kol drank his wine, without saying a word. Finn looked between Kol and I. Ok, now you’re just connecting dots that aren’t even there. Sure he saw me in my bra, but it’s not like I was intentionally seducing him. “Have you finally found someone to-” 

Kol glanced at me, rolled his eyes and sat up straighter before cutting Finn off. “Oh, isn’t this perfect,” Kol began and looked at Elijah with an amused smile, before turning to Finn. “You must be mistaking me for Elijah, Finn because I don’t go after my brother’s girl. I will admit that it was an impressive attempt to drive a wedge between us though. That was your goal, wasn’t it? Or was it to get Niklaus to dagger me? Either way, you failed, and I’m here for the long haul. Family reunions are fun, but I’m quite curious why you're here. Was it because Mother needed someone to wash her knickers?” Like the rest of us, Kol spotted how Finn was losing his temper and decided to push him further. “It was, wasn’t it?” 

“She raised me because I was treated unfairly! Cheated out of all but the smallest portion of my life!” Finn said furiously. He turned to Elijah, looking upset. “Elijah, I can understand such cruelty coming from Niklaus, but I always thought of you as being the compassionate one and I thought Kol would surely let me out since he knows what it’s like!” Finn looked between his brothers. “What did I do to deserve you turning your back on me? Were you both afraid of Klaus? Are you still?” Elijah and Kol were unamused by Finn's words, so they remained silent. “Or perhaps jealousy is what kept me locked in a box? You, Elijah, coveted the duties of the eldest brother, in which case you had near-on a  _ millennium _ to fix the problems of this family, and instead, produced nine centuries of  _ failure _ ,” Finn said and he wasn’t wrong. However, Finn realized his anger had gotten the best of him and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb. The eldest Mikaeslon stopped himself from further exposing his feelings to his brothers. After a moment, Elijah broke the silence Finn had created.

“You might reside, somewhat parasitically, I might add...in another body, but I assure you, nine hundred years your -  _ tedious _ sentiments remain quite the same. You see, Finn, like Father, you've always despised our supernatural existence,” Elijah explained.

“Although, our father made the choice to slaughter and consume us, while you became exaggerated and boring... much like this stupid dinner,” Kol said as he cut off Elijah and sat up. Placing his glass down as he looked at Finn and asked, “Now I believe I speak for everyone here, where is Mother?” Klaus chuckled at his insults.

“Oh, my darling son.” I heard a female voice say, which made me turn my head to the source. I looked and saw a young girl standing in the doorway. Esther. Finn immediately raised to his feet to greet his mother. “I've missed you, too,” She said sarcastically and sat down.

“Why don't you say what you came here to say, so this wretched night can end?” Klaus asked her. I second that idea. Anyone else? My phone buzzed and I looked down. ‘ _ With the witch. She has all the ingredients and is starting the spell. - Hayley _ ’ Ok, so we just need to stall.

“It pains me that you three look at me with such disdain, and I can see that Alex seems to share the same ideals. I wish you could see that my every action has been to protect and save you,” Esther elaborated calmly, and I rolled my eyes.

“You actually believe that, don't you? I knew you were a liar, but now I see you're utterly delusional,” Klaus said incredulously. You’re just getting that now? I’ve known this since she turned Alaric.

“If you can forget the hatred that you cling to and remember all the times I've mended and healed you.” Klaus laughed sarcastically, but Esther just turned to Elijah. “Elijah, do you recall the day Niklaus challenged your father to a duel? Did I leave your brother to die alone? What did I say, when you came to me and asked me to help him?” She asked Elijah and he sighed.

“That you would rather die than to see any of your children suffer,” Elijah answered her. I watched them carefully, then saw Klaus realize something.

“The necklace,” Klaus said horrified, with tears in his eyes. Yeah, could you explain why you had that now? “It wasn't spelled to protect me. It made me weak.” So the necklace was a gift from her and she made you weak on purpose, when your human I’m assuming, knowing that Mikael would only be angered by that...Wow! That’s low, even for an emotionless hybrid. 

“I sought to protect you from yourself. If you had killed your father in that duel, or anyone else in the course of your life...you would have activated your curse!” She said, defending herself, and Klaus angrily slammed his hand down on the table. I have to admit it startled me just a tiny bit. 

“You ruined me,” Klaus sneered. “You left me to suffer at the hands of a father who valued only strength!” Esther looked away from her son, guiltily. So I am right in my deduction. 

“I kept you from becoming a beast for as long as I possibly could!” She exclaimed. 

Klaus' shouted, and Elijah got ready to intervene at any point, “Oh, you lied to me - to hide your own transgressions because of your own fear!” He slammed the table as he stood up, causing his chair to fall behind him. “My whole life, I sought the approval I was denied by the man I thought was my father.” Elijah stood up, walking closer to Esther. “You turned me into the weakling he hated!” Esther gulped and looked guilty under Klaus' furious glare, unable to look him in the eyes. “Look at me!” He demanded and Esther did. “You rant and you rave about the monster I have become, but you, Mother - you are the author of everything I am.” 

Esther looked flustered and suddenly began gasping for breath. Finn looked mildly alarmed as she fainted and slumped over in her seat. Elijah caught her quickly and looked at us confused. The girl looked dead, but I could hear her heartbeat for my seat. While Klaus, Elijah, and Kol attacked Finn to find out what happened, my phone buzzed again with a text from Hayley, ‘ _ S.O.S: Esther’s here with me. _ ’ Shit! I sped out of the room before anyone could question me.

####  ~At Lenore’s Shop~

Victor and I arrived at the witch's shop at the same time. We looked at each other before running in. “Hayley!” Victor yelled as we ran to the back. When we entered he saw her passed out on the ground, and Victor immediately sped over to her. I stood over them as he checked her pulse, then gave me a small nod. I looked at Marcel’s witch. She was wiping off her hands as she watched us. 

“Get Hayley out of here Victor,” I said to him and he didn’t need to be told twice before speeding her out of there. The witch, or Esther, held eye contact with me. “I don’t think you and I have ever had an actual conversation without you trying to kill me.”

“Yes, I suppose we haven’t,” She agreed and my phone rang again. I didn’t take my eyes off of Esther as she continued to wash the snake's blood from her hands. Esther looked between me and the phone, “Go ahead. You can answer it.” I answered the phone and was instantly greeted by Klaus.

“Where are you?!” Klaus demanded. 

“I'm at Lenore's shop-” I answered before Esther thrust her arm forward, using her magic to end the phone call.

“That'll be enough!” Esther said to me.

“They're on their way, you know?” I asked her and she smiled.

“My darling, that's been the idea all along,” Esther answered. “It's so lovely to properly meet you. Tell me, do my sons ever acknowledge the good you’ve brought into their lives? For Klaus it was unconditional love; Elijah, it was genuine proof that Klaus could be saved; and Kol, well, you gave him the inclusion he always wanted when it came to his siblings. Then again the promise of children can bring people back together and show us all the possibilities of a future that could be. They are meant to save us from the worst parts of who we are. A truth that makes my own circumstances all the more tragic, wouldn't you say?” I rolled my eyes at her speech. 

“I don't pity you, Esther,” I answered. Esther looked as though she was offended, for a brief moment, before shrugging it off.

“It's a terrible thing, for a mother to fail her children,” She saw the starling necklace still laying over the cauldron and picked it up, so she could look at it closely. “As you well know.” 

“You chose to hide Klaus from his real father and put a spell on him that you knew would cause Mikael to despise him. Hiding behind the explanation of trying to protect him from triggering his curse will never change the fact that you chose to do that on your own free will,” I explained to her. 

“Yes, and I will never be able to make it up to him,” Esther sighed. “However, my actions towards you… I can fix those.” Bullshit. “I offer you freedom. The gift of a new body. Freedom from being a hybrid, from being linked to Niklaus. I have the ability to return to you all that you have lost, Alex. To make it so that you could have a family of your own. More children of your own. Wouldn't that be nice?”

Klaus finally arrives and interrupts our conversation. When he saw me standing in front of Esther, he rushed towards me. “I assume you've had the misfortune of speaking to my mother?” Klaus asked. Esther picked up a handful of an unidentified powdery substance and threw it towards Klaus, creating a magical barrier to keep him from coming any closer to her. “You hide behind your spells like a coward!”

“I did not come here to wage war!” Esther exclaimed and I saw Elijah and Kol come up from behind her, but Esther picked up another handful of the substance and threw it sideways, towards them, preventing them from coming any closer to her as well.

“Everything you do is an act of war. If you touch her, so help me -” Elijah was cut off by his mother.

“Alex is free to go. I've spoken my piece, she knows why I'm here. I have come to heal our family, Elijah,” Esther explained to him.

“Well, that's a grand sentiment, coming from you,” Kol commented as he and Elijah walked closer to Klaus. Now I’m having déjà vu. 

Klaus turned to me, “Go home now,” he commanded. 

“No, I’m not leaving you here with her,” I shot back. 

“I won’t ask you again, Alexandria,” Klaus growled and I rolled my eyes before speeding back to the compound. 

####  ~At the Compound~

I walked into the courtyard and saw Victor looking over Hayley. I walked up to them and asked, “Are you ok?” Victor turned to me, gave me a look, then turned back to Hayley. 

“Yeah, she knocked me out after I sent that text,” Hayley explained. 

“You need to rest,” Victor said. “My room’s upstairs, third on the right.” Hayley nodded and went upstairs. Once she was out of earshot, Victor turned to me. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Good,” I answered. 

“Thank you for going there by the way,” Victor said.

“I might be emotionless, but she’s still family. Some habits can’t be broken that easily,” I explained. Victor nodded, then went upstairs after Hayley. 

Soon after, Elijah, Klaus, and Kol arrived and I sat now, as they processed all that we've learned this evening from Esther. It was very simple to understand in my opinion. “Of course she used those damn birds to make her exit!” Klaus exclaimed

“What did she say to you, Alex?” Kol asked.

“Rebirth, basically. She wanted to stick me in a new body in order to make up for what she did to Cordelia and Leo,” I explained. 

“Besides that, what else did she say?” Elijah asked me.

“I don't know. She rambled a lot. She blamed you and Klaus for what happened to twins, and offered to break my soulmate bond to your brother free of charge,” I said and Klaus was instantly appalled by this response. He stopped his pacing so he could stare me in the eyes.

“Well, I hope you're not thinking of taking her offer,” Klaus commented. 

“Of course not!” I answered. “I can have kids as a hybrid, and I like being one. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about, and even if I did - I wouldn’t trust her to do it.” I stood up from my seat. “Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go to bed. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow will be even longer, considering how all three of us have to track down Davina.” With that, I walked upstairs.


	6. Chapter 5

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~At Marcel’s Apartment~

I walked into Marcel’s apartment. The man of the hour was talking to a dark-skinned girl next to him. I could sense she was a vampire, meaning she was one of Marcel’s new recruits. “Alex,” Marcel greeted.

“Marcel,” I said back as I walked into his living room. “Do you know where Davina is?”

“And here I thought you missed me,” Marcel said, with a small grin.

“I don’t know if anyone told you, but I don’t necessarily  _ miss _ people nowadays. Now can you answer my question,” I responded. 

Marcel went to open his mouth when a young female came in. She had a soft round face, a bright smile, and her long blonde hair tucked away in a high ponytail, as she walked down the stairs behind him. Her olive-green eyes looked slightly older than her physical form. Another vampire, not as old as Marcel or myself, but definitely older than the girl standing next to Marcel. He seemed to be more interested in what she had to say then giving me the information I needed. 

“No new vampires have entered the quarter,” She reported to Marcel. “Although I’m not sure why you called me home to give me this job? Surely one of your newbies could do it.” 

“Come on Erica, it’s not like I’m telling you to tail one of the Mikaelson’s,” Marcel joked and she rolled her eyes.

“Touché,” Erica said and looked at me. “Look I’ll come back later, but I believe Charlotte finally died from loneliness. I didn’t spot her counting every brick in New Orleans on my round.” So Marcel’s known her for a long time if she knows who Charlotte is. 

“No need, Alex and I are almost done,” Marcel turned back to me. “No, I don’t know where Davina is, and yes, I know you have your emotions off. Why do you need to find her anyways?” Marcel asked.

“She has control of Mikael, who has the white oak. Klaus, Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah can die if Davina decides to let him roam free, or it can end up in Esther’s hands. I’m doing my best trying to avoid either option,” I explained to him. “But as I can see this is a dead end. Time to go see if Klaus is having better luck.” 

I turned to leave when Marcel sped in front of me, “If Klaus is going after her, make sure he doesn’t hurt her. You might not feel anything, but you did care for her once.”

“Yes, and then I lost my children,” I said. “Now Davina is merely an obstacle in my path.” Marcel stood up straighter. “Call me if you hear from her and if you need the strength of an original call Kol. He has nothing to do and is dying from boredom since Elijah won’t give him a job.” I walked around Marcel and out of his apartment. 

As I rounded the corner outside on my way back to the compound, a black car pulled up in front of me. The window rolled down and I saw Klaus in the driver's seat. “Get in. I know where Davina is,” He said and I opened the door without another thought. 

####  ~On the Road~

We’ve been on the road for three hours now. I had my feet up on the dashboard as some jazz music played in the background. The traffic wasn’t that bad, but slow enough to annoy me. “Could these cars go any slower? At this rate, we won’t get Davina's family cabin before sundown,” I groaned.

“Careful, love, if I didn’t know any better I’d say that your emotions are showing,” He teased and I looked at him. 

“Good thing that you do know better,” I said. “Plus you and I have both caused Stefan to be annoyed with his emotions off numerous times. This isn’t anything new.”

“We’ll get there when we do, and we will stop Mikael as well,” Klaus said softly.

“Like Mikael is the biggest threat to our babies. Esther and this unknown Alpha your pack has to go find and follow, are worse compared to him,” I explained.

“Then why did you come?” Klaus asked me. “You could have stayed behind and tracked down this unknown alpha if you wanted to, but you decided to help me find Mikael. Why?”

I looked at my boyfriend, “I don’t know if it’s occurred to you, but I need you alive. Mikael might not be the biggest threat towards our children but he’s a big threat to you, and if you die then I die, along with every one of your sirelings, leaving our babies as orphans.” I explained to him. “Not to mention I can’t fix the city without you, so here I am.” 

“So you do care for me?” Klaus asked and rolled my eyes. 

“If that means being overprotective when it comes to keeping you alive from your own step-dad then yes, you can say I care for you in the smallest percentage possible,” I confessed.

“Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, my dear,” Klaus chuckled as he looked at me before the traffic moved forward. Kol’s caller ID popped up on the car’s screen and I accepted it. 

“Did Marcel give you a job?” I asked him.

“ _ Yes in fact he did _ .  _ Thank god too, or else I would be roaming the city wrecking havoc for fun _ .  _ Right, Klaus _ ?” Kol asked his brother sarcastically. 

“Get to the point, Kol,” Klaus said.

“ _ Fine _ , _ fine _ . _I just_ _ wanted to give you two a little update on the werewolves _ ,” Kol informed us. “ _ Turns out Mummy dearest knows she’s slowly losing the wolves _ ,  _ what with Alex and Hayley taking back the title of Alpha _ ,  _ so she gave Finn a task _ .  _ Our oldest brother has rounded up the youngest untriggered wolves to reenact some weird tradition since it’s Luna Sanguinis _ .”

“And what exactly is Luna Sanguinis?” I asked him.

“ _ A blood moon _ ,  _ according to the desperate werewolf who just came to us for help _ ,” Kol answered. “ _ Anyways tonight _ ,  _ Finn’s going to have all the kids trigger their curse _ .” Kol paused for a moment. “ _ Oh _ , _ and he also had the werewolves tell Marcel and his crew of newbies _ ,  _ to pack up their things across the river and get out _ .  _ But Marcel isn’t doing that _ ,  _ so don’t worry _ .”

“Maybe I should have stayed in the Quarter today,” I mumbled. 

“ _Don’t worry Alex_ , _we have a plan_. _Turns out the werewolf begging for help has a little brother who happens to be one of these recruits_. _He doesn’t want this to happen as much as we do_ , _so he_ , _Marcel_ , _Daniel_ , _Josh_ , _Victor_ , _Hayley_ , _Oliver_ , _Elijah_ , _and I have a plan_ ,” Kol explained. “ _As I said:_ _I’m only updating you_. _It's a win-win situation from my point of view_. _We get a possible new ally and stop our psychotic older brother from adding on to his werewolf army_.”

“Ok, but what is this plan exactly?” Klaus asked him.

“ _ Sleight of hand is the easiest way to describe it _ ,” Kol answered. “ _ Anyway _ ,  _ I should probably get back inside _ .  _ I’ll call when I know more _ .” Kol then hung up and I looked at Klaus.

“I think we might have the easiest job of today,” I answered and Klaus laughed. 

“Yes, it would appear so.”

~

We had just exited the highway when I spoke up, “So what exactly is the plan here?” I asked him. It was dark and I looked at the little town’s lights. When Klaus didn’t answer me I looked at him. “You don’t actually have a plan do you?”

“Mikael is unpredictable. The plan is to come out of this alive,” Klaus answered. 

“Yeah, more like make sure you come out alive,” I said.

“Like I’d let him even harm a hair on your head,” Klaus responded.

“You did once, if I remember correctly, so don’t play innocent in that regard,” I responded, reminding him of when Mikael nearly stabbed me in the heart. 

“Then if you’re so worried about dying, I’ll drop you off somewhere and I’ll call Elijah to come and get you,” Klaus snapped and I sat up a bit.

“Then you’ll be at a disadvantage going up against Mikael, and you know I have a better chance of convincing Davina to  _ not _ do whatever she has planned,” I explained. 

Klaus didn’t say anything as we pulled up to Davina’s family cabin. We got out of the car and made our way up to the front door. I looked inside the cabin and saw it was empty, but a gut feeling told me something wasn’t right. 

“I don’t like this.” I looked at Klaus as he looked through the other window, a few feet away from me. “This isn’t right,” I mentioned and Klaus walked back to me. 

“Stay here,” He said and walked back to the car. 

I watched him as he noticed something. My boyfriend walked over to it and I saw him grab a stick that had been planted to the ground. He looked at it for a moment, and I could tell that whatever the stick was, it upset him. Klaus turned to me and got into a throwing potion. I ducked as he launched the staff in my direction. It shattered the window behind me. 

“Mind giving me a warning next time,” I shouted at Klaus. I looked inside to see that nobody was there. 

“Enough games, Davina!” Klaus yelled. “Send out my father. Let’s finish this.” I moved away from the porch, knowing better than to get in the middle of the upcoming fight. Mikael would just use me against Klaus again, and that’s not what we need right now. “Davina! Is this not what you brought him for?! I’m not afraid.” I rolled my eyes at that last statement, as I hid by the side of the cabin. Yes, you are. 

The door opened which caught my attention, and I watched as Mikael slowly walked out of the cabin. Klaus stared at Mikael and I felt a chill down my spine, then he looked at Klaus. I could feel his fear. That’s strange. “Hello, boy,” Mikael spat out. “You seem rather impatient. Are you so eager to meet your end?”

“I’m only eager to stand over your burning corpse again,” Klaus stated. “Only this time, I intend to enjoy it more.” 

Mikael made his way slowly down the stairs as he talked, “I’ve traveled...all the way back from hell...for this moment.” 

“Well, then I’d hate to keep you waiting,” Klaus mentioned, then went to punch him. 

Mikael blocked it and went to punch Klaus in the stomach, which he blocked before Mikael managed to punch him in the face. Mikael raised the white oak up high, and Klaus grabbed his wrist which allowed Mikael to knee him in the stomach and push Klaus to the ground. Mikeal stood up and Klaus began to as well before Mikael kneed him in the face, causing Klaus to land on his back. 

As Mikael walked over to his step-son I sped in front of Klaus. Mikael straightened up when he saw me. “Should have known you’d be here. Still protecting the bastard from his inevitable fate,” Mikael stated. 

“You wanted a fight,” I said. “Come get me.” 

Mikael laughed and lunged towards me as I moved my left foot to kick the stake out of his hand. Mikael grabbed my foot with his free hand and I jumped up, wrapped my other leg around his free arm, then twisted my body. This caused Mikeal to flip over and land on his back, dropping the white oak stake, as I landed on my feet. I never thought that move would be useful. I was wrong. Klaus sped over to Mikael and stabbed him in the chest with a dagger. I watched as it sunk into his chest, even after Klaus let go, and Mikael fell on his back shaking with pain. 

I looked up at Klaus as he picked up the stake. “Papa Tunde’s blade?” He looked at me as I walked over to him. “Really?” I asked. “I thought you wanted to watch him burn again?”

“And I will,” Klaus placed the stake in my hand. “Just not now. I’d rather have him suffer first,” Klaus said and grabbed Mikael’s body before making his way to the car. I stared at Klaus in complete confusion as he opened the trunk and put Mikael inside, then looked down at the object in my hand. What the fuck did I just witness? 

I turned to the cabin and walked over the window to see Davina inside unconscious. “Let me in,” I said to the boy next to her. “I can heal her.” 

“As if I should trust you,” He said.

“Then at least open the front door,” Klaus said as he came up beside me. The boy looked at him and straightened up a bit before standing. He walked over to the window, eyes never leaving Klaus, then moved to the door and opened it. 

“And what are you gonna do?” The boy asked as we stood in front of him and Klaus smirked at him.

“You’d be shocked at how easy it is to destroy a cabin,” Klaus answered. 

“Please let me in,” I ‘begged,’ stopping them from continuing. “She’s an old friend and I just want to make sure she’s ok.” 

“If that was true then why are you with him?” He asked.

“It’s a long story,” I quickly answered. 

“How entirely unsatisfactory,” He shot back. “Besides, I don’t own the cabin. Davina does.” 

My fake expression dropped and I rolled my eyes. “Then I’m wasting my time and energy on acting as if I care,” I said. “Who are you?” 

“Why would I tell you?” He asked, then looked at Klaus, and matched his gaze. Klaus was observing him, but the boy was angry. Furious in a way I’ve only seen on Stefan’s face or Klaus when facing Elijah.

“Henrik,” I stated and Klaus’s entire demeanor changed in a split second. Henrik then looked at me with a small smirk. 

“What gave me away?” He asked. 

“Your anger. It seems to be a family trait,” I said.

“He's not my family,” Henrik said. “Just the man who got me killed.”

“I didn’t mean-” Klaus choked up. Well, that’s new. “You’re wrong. That’s not what-”

“No, I’m completely right! You’re Klaus, the Original hybrid, the slaughter of villages, cities, and people! And because of you, I spent a thousand years wandering the other side. You are not my brother. You aren’t the artist, whose life was invested in the drawings and paintings he created.” Henrik paused, trying to control himself a bit. “ _ That _ man was my brother. You...you’re just a stranger.”

I looked at Klaus and he had no expression on his face. Henrik’s words must have really gotten to him. Without looking at me, Klaus reached in his pocket then handed me the keys to the car, “Go get the car. If we can’t go inside then my brother can take Davina out. Once he does, we can heal her and go home,” Klaus told me, but never turned his gaze away from his little brother. 

I took the keys without saying anything and went to the car. Obviously Klaus wanted to talk to him alone and I didn’t need to be present for whatever was about to happen between those two. I got into the driver's side, tossing the white oak in the seat next to me before adjusting the mirror. I saw Mikael in the back. Good still there. Wouldn’t put it past him to wake up. 

I started the car when a hand wrapped around my throat. Looking in the mirror I saw Mikael. What the actual fuck is up with my luck today? I grabbed his wrist to try and pull it off of me, “Kla-” I tried to yell, but he only applied more pressure, stopping my cry. I watched him reach over and grab the stake while noticing the blade as well. 

“Alright then, girl, let’s go for a walk.” He spat in my ear before snapping my neck.


	7. Chapter 6

### Alex’s P.O.V

#### *Flashback 1846*

“Alexandria!” I heard him shout and I kept a hand over my mouth. “I know you’re here and I know you took the papers from my desk!” Father yelled. I looked down at the papers lying beside me and the color pencils on top of them. They weren’t even his. Damon gave them to me earlier today when I asked if he had any. “Alexandria, I’m getting more impatient and I don’t have the time to deal with you! Now come out here and return what you stole!” 

I kept my hand over my mouth, silencing myself as he walked by the closet I was hidden in. I only wanted to make my unborn brother a drawing to put in his nursery. Why was father so angry with me? I gasped when the door swung open and looked up to see my father. His eyes were cold along with the stone expression he held in his face. He was breathing heavily and looked to see the paper with the unfinished drawing.

“Come here, you useless girl!” Father growled and grabbed my upper arm as he pulled me out of the closet.

####  *Present Day*

I woke up with a small gasp and noticed how I was sitting against a tree. I looked down at my wrist to see them tied together. My eyes followed the rope to see it was tied to a tree as I stood up. I tugged at it but it was a tight fit and my head still hurt a bit from getting my neck snapped. Turning back, I saw six dead bodies and Mikael feeding on a seventh. He ripped his mouth from the boy's neck and dropped the body as he turned around to me. 

“Ah, you're awake. Finally,” Mikael said. I was still shaken up from the dream I had. 

“Klaus will find me,” I told him, but my voice cracked. That’s when I noticed that my emotions had started to come back on. No. I closed my eyes quickly to focus on turning it back off when Mikael sped up to me and held Papa Tunde’s blade to my throat. I gulped as I stared at him and more emotions started to come back online. The main one being fear. 

“Oh, he will. But, I will be ready,” Mikael responded.

“How? I've seen the kind of pain that blade causes.” I told him as he grabbed the rope. He was using it as a leash. 

“I have fought more pain than anyone, living or dead.” He clutched Papa Tunde's blade in one hand. “But, now that I have fed and I am restored.” He explained to me and pulled on his makeshift leash causing me to walk forward. “Come along, wolf.” 

“Why do you need me?” I asked him. 

“You, my dear, are leverage, just like the first time we met,” He stated and tugged harder as we walked through the woods. “Once I threaten to dismember you in front of him, Klaus will hesitate. And, in that moment of weakness, I shall end him,” Mikael said to me.

“This is crazy!” I exclaimed. “The two of you, going round and round trying to kill each other? You're obsessing over the death of someone whose fatal flaw is that he was fathered by another guy!” I yelled at him and it felt good to say it to his face, but he soon became enraged and turned to me.

“Hush! I watched as you talk to Niklaus about your childhood on the other side,” I held my breath. “You’re as much of a bastard child as him, and when I’m done with Niklaus a shall do the thing your weak father failed to,” He threatened and stared at him in fear, before he turned around and tugged me along behind him, despite me trying to break free. 

#### *Flashback 1855*

I was lying curled up on the ground, underneath a small table across from the fireplace. Glass surrounding me as I coughed and felt it dig into my skin. I was stuck. Father had beat me when he came back home, drunk, from mother’s funeral. He had found me sitting on the couch as I cried over my mother's passing. Damon hadn’t come home yet, and I regret not trusting my gut and going to my room after putting Stefan to bed. 

The next thing I knew Father had pulled me to my feet and began to yell at me, making me cry more. He slapped my face then yelled about the tears that had run down and how it was my fault Mother died. Which made no sense. She had died for an illness I had nothing to do with. Father then began to bruise my body with his foot and fist, yelling about how mother and Damon weren’t here to protect me anymore. How I was a mistake and don’t deserve to live...how he wanted me dead. When he was done, he threw me to the small table and I hit my back, causing me to fall to the ground. The glass vase Mother loved so dearly fell off the table and shattered in front of me. She’d be so angry with me if she were still alive. 

I closed my eyes and coughed again. It hurt to cough. It hurt to breathe and I could taste the iron in my blood as it spilled out of my mouth. I opened my eyes a little when I heard the front door close and tried to turn my head. I knew from where I was, whoever walked in wouldn’t be able to see me. It must be Damon. Please be Damon. 

“Help! Hel-” I began to cough again, cutting off my plea. I heard the person stop walking. I wonder if it was because of the sound of my bloody cough. Either way, the person walked towards the sound and stopped when they saw me. 

“Alexandria,” they whispered in shock. I used all my energy to look up and cried at the sight of my older brother. 

“Damon,” I said as clearly as I could and felt more tears, but these were of joy as my older brother rushed to my side. 

“Alexandria,” Damon said as he touched the side of my face and I saw his own tears at the sight of me. Sadly my mind began to feel dizzy and weak. 

“I’m so tired,” I mumbled.

“No, sister, keep your eyes on me. Don’t go to sleep,” Damon demanded, desperation laced his voice. I couldn’t do it though. I was so tired and wanted to sleep off the pain surrounding me. There was a muffled voice as my eyes closed again, and the feeling of my body rising up from the ground. Maybe I’d see Mother when I woke up.

####  *Present Day*

The sun had risen again when Mikael dragged me into a run-down warehouse. He used the rope to whip me around in front of him. I had tears running down my face. I thought I was going to die that day. The night after Mother’s funeral. I thought I’d see her again after burying her in the ground below. However, this one memory seemed to cause everything I had turned off to rush back in me. One memory of Damon and my father, and I was back to feeling again. I didn’t want to feel anymore. I don’t think I even wanted to be alive anymore.

“Look at you,” Mikael said. “Crying in fear as if it will help you.” 

“I’m sorry if all my emotions coming back on aren't convenient for you,” I snapped as I stood up before him. The anger I felt allowed me to rip the ropes off my wrist. “You know, Klaus used to believe I could never fathom how deep your hatred ran, when I’m the only one who possibly could,” I told him. “The second I met you I knew the fear he felt.”

“I didn't always hate him,” Mikael confessed. “When Niklaus was born, I was overjoyed. I thought, “This one, this one has the eyes of a warrior. He will be worthy.” But, my hope was short-lived. And, when I found out that he wasn't really my son, my _relief_ was _GLORIOUS_.” I looked down. According to my father's journals, he was sad that I wasn’t his. I thought Mikael felt the same with Klaus, but no, he was happy Klaus wasn’t his. “But, that passed with the knowledge that he was begat of a beast-”

“His mother's infidelity was not his fault!” I yelled at him.

“Everything that followed was because of Niklaus' obsession with the wolves! He ventured out to watch them turn under the full moon, and he took my youngest son, Henrik. He was but a child, and he was torn apart,” Mikeal said to me.

“It was an accident!” I screamed and it only enraged him as he began to storm up to me, pinning me between him and a wall. No way out. 

“An accident? _AN ACCIDENT? HE MURDERED MY WIFE! HIS OWN MOTHER!_ Who sought to cleanse him of his beast-like nature! He betrayed me. He turned my entire family against me! And yet, _you_ defend him?” He yelled at me. Now it was my turn to be overwhelmed by anger at what he was saying about Klaus and shoved him off of me.

“You are the reason he is this way! _You_ forced your wife to do the spell that turned him into a vampire after a witch told you no! _You_ showed him to always take down his enemies no matter the cost! You taught him how to _fight_ ! **_EVERYTHING HE KNOWS IS BECAUSE OF YOU_ ** ! **_EVERYTHING ALL YOUR CHILDREN KNOW IS BECAUSE OF YOU_ **!” I screamed and slapped Mikael across the face, causing his head to whip to the side. “Children look up to their fucking fathers for guidance as much as they do their mothers. You and Esther are the only ones to blame when it comes to the way Klaus turned out!” I stared into the Orignal’s angry eyes. “I blame you for every wall I had to break through to get to your son's heart-”

Mikael cut me off, “ _HE IS NOT MY SON_!” 

“ ** _YES HE IS, SO STOP DENYING IT_**!” I screamed. “You fucking raised him, you asshole! He is _your_ **_son_** whether you like it or not! He carries your last name and he lived up to what you originally thought about him. Klaus became the warrior you thought he would be. The second someone hears his name, they’re terrified. I mean-” I chuckled a little. “Isn’t that what you taught him? What you have been teaching him? To strike fear into the hearts of your enemies so that they never think to come against you.” Mikael stared at me in angry silence as I smiled at him, knowing he couldn’t deny it. “Because let’s be honest, I was more terrified of Klaus when I first heard of him than you.” I hissed and Mikael sped me back to the wall, choking me. “What?” I winced. “Don’t like being told the truth. Let me tell you a little secret - neither does Klaus.” 

“ENOUGH!” Mikael yelled. “If I didn’t need you to kill the monster you so dearly love to defend, I’d rip out your heart right now. However, my wound does not appear to be healing and you seemed to be the perfect meal.” I struggled against him as my anger became fear again once those words left his mouth. I heard myself scream when his fangs pierced my neck and I blacked out.

#### *Flashback 1864*

Everything was ruined. 

Stefan sold Kathrine out after Damon and I told him that Father couldn’t be trusted. Why doesn’t Stefan see the monster Damon and I do? Why does he still trust him? Now my brothers were going after her and so was my father and his hunting squad. Father would kill Damon and Stefan if he saw them saving her. I have to stop him even if the thought terrifies me. I told the nanny that I’d be gone only for an hour. I hope it’s true. 

“Father!” I yelled as I watched him walk across our backyard. “FATHER STOP!” I caught up to him and grabbed his arm. Pulling him back a bit I stood in front of him.

“Out of my way, Alexandria!” Father yelled. 

“No! I will not let you leave this spot until you promise not to hurt my brothers!” I exclaimed. I hope this gives them enough time. They owe me their lives after this. 

“They wish to defend that monster and now you wish to defend them,” Father stated.

“I wish you to see that they’re doing this from a good place,” I reasoned and he scoffed. “They love her Father, you have to at least acknowledge that.” 

“I acknowledge that she has tricked them with her powers in order to use them as she sees fit!” Father exclaimed. 

“Father please,” I begged. “They don’t know better-”

“Go home, Alexandria. Go back to the husband I gave you to,” Father yelled while loading his gun. 

“Please just consider-” I said and stopped when my father held the gun to my head.

“If you don’t leave now I will shoot you and leave your children as motherless as you are,” Father threatened, but I swallowed my fear. No matter how much he might hate me, he wouldn’t kill me. Right?

“Father-” The last thing I heard was his rifle go off.


	8. Chapter 7

### Alex’s P.O.V

####  *Present Day*

I started to wake up and saw Klaus and Mikael fighting each other. Just as Klaus was about to be staked by Mikael, he fought back by kneeing Mikael in the gut, then in the face before Mikael fought back. Klaus tackled him, and the two bust through a concrete and brick wall into the next room. I struggled to pull myself, placing my hand on my neck. Well, now I know how that feels. Klaus pushed him back into the room and kicked Mikael to the floor. He straddled Mikael, who was trying to stake him while he was being held down, this only made it easy for Klaus to turn the stake on him.

“Not as weak as you remember, am I?” Klaus said to him while smirking.

Klaus broke the stake out of his grip and went to stake him. Mikael threw Tunde's blade at me as I stood up, causing me to not have enough time to stop it, forcing Klaus to speed towards me and catch it before it stabbed me in the face. I looked at Klaus grateful, despite the fact that it wouldn’t actually kill me. Before we knew what was happening, Mikael broke his wrist and stabbed Klaus in the chest with the white oak stake, pushing him back away from me.

“ **_NO!_ **” I screamed and rushed to grab him, but Mikeal slapped me across the face. The force of it caused me to fall back as Klaus screamed. I looked back and met Klaus' gaze as he fell to his side and desiccated. “No,” I whispered to myself, and waited for him to start burning, but he never did. Oh, please, just give me this one miracle. 

“Why aren't you burning?!” Mikael yelled at him. “If you were dead, it would burn. _BURN!_ ” He growled. I looked at him and watched as he noticed something, then waited until he left the room completely before speeding to Klaus’s side. 

I laid him on his back and yanked the stake out of his heart. I held it in my hand as I brought Klaus into my lap. “Come on,” I whispered to him and bit my free wrist, forcing it into his mouth. “Drink the blood god damn-it! I can’t lose you too.” Then I heard someone scream. Who was that? The next thing I felt was Klaus’s fangs in my wrist. I sighed in relief when the color came back to his face. 

“What do you think you're doing?” Mikael asked me. I gripped the white oak stake in my hand while pointing it at him.

“If you come one-fucking-foot closer, I swear to God, I'll kill you myself.” I threatened him and he seemed mildly impressed with me.

“You have a warrior's heart. Perhaps I'll keep it as a souvenir.” Mikael pondered. He came closer to us when Marcel appeared out of nowhere and pulled him away. He started hitting Mikael over and over, so quickly that he's too disoriented to fight back right away. Mikael eventually knocked Marcel flat on his back and grabbed a makeshift stake to point it at Marcel's heart. “Now, ENOUGH! This night has been a long parade of fools. I'll enjoy killing every last one of you,” Mikael said to him. Klaus’s hand came up to my wrist and pushed away from him. Suddenly, Kol arrived - out of nowhere like Marcel - and threw a chain around Mikaels’ neck, then yanked it so Mikael was knocked off his feet. 

“I wouldn’t place a bet on that, father,” Kol said and hit him in the face with a concrete slab connected to the end of the chain.

Klaus, determined to join in, jumped to his feet as I stood up behind him. Kol and Marcel rushed to our side and we were eventually joined by Davina. When did she get here? Was she the reason Klaus hadn’t died? We probably looked like the Power Rangers in the formation we were standing in though. Klaus smirked at Mikael, knowing that we finally had the upper-hand on him.

“It's over, Mikael. You're outnumbered. Are you going to beg for your miserable life?” Klaus asked and Mikael laughed.

“You think having people makes you strong? It proves how weak you are. Come find me when you don't have fools, women, and children fighting your battles,” Mikael spat and threw the scrap of wood at us, then sped away to heal. 

Klaus sighed and I dropped the white oak to the ground while falling to my knees. Guess Mikael took more blood out of me than I thought. Klaus rushed in front of me. I heard Davina leaving the room and called out, “Thank you.” She stopped and I turned my head slightly. Davina gave me a small nod before Marcel ushered her out of the room. 

“You ok?” Klaus asked and I nodded. 

“Yeah,” No not really. All my emotions are on and it’s a lot to sort through. “I’ll be fine,” I told him. Klaus lifted my chin up a bit so he met my eye and Kol smirked

“Turned it back on I see,” Kol commented.

“So it would seem,” I paused and swallowed the lump in my throat. “Mikael made me think of my childhood, and that’s been a dam of emotions waiting to burst,” I explained. 

“You pulled the stakeout in the nick of time. A moment longer, and I would have been done for.” Klaus smiled. 

“I couldn’t watch you die again,” I said to him. “I just wish you had killed him earlier.”

“He hurt you. For that alone, I will kill him.” Klaus said when we pulled away. 

“Wait you had a chance to kill the bastard and didn’t take it?!” Kol exclaimed. 

“Surprised me too,” I answered and Klaus rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I know I made a mistake,” He confessed. Klaus brushed some of my hair out of my face. “You know, in a thousand years, I think it's the first time I've seen him run.”

“He was still weak and knew he was outmatched,” I told him, with a small laugh. Klaus then stared into my soul almost before looking up at Kol. 

“Can you leave us alone for a moment?” He asked him and Kol nodded. 

We sat in silence for a little while. I wish we hadn’t though, it allowed me to think and I didn’t want to do that. After the initial nostalgia wore off, I felt all the grief and loss take its normal place inside me. Placing my hands over my face, I let my tears fall. Klaus’s arms wrapped around me as he pulled me into his lap. Klaus began to rock me back and forth after he placed my head in the crook of his neck and rested his cheek against it. I held onto him like a small child as I let all my internal pain cocoon me.

“It’s ok,” Klaus shushed. “The pain will fade.” 

“No-” I shook my head and pushed him away so I could look him in the eye. “Don’t do that, please. Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying,” Klaus said softly, pushing a piece of hair out of my face and wiping a tear off my cheek. “I would never lie to you, Alex. Not about this.”

“I’m not useful like this,” I confessed.

“Like what?” Klaus questioned.

“Emotional,” I answered. “I can’t help you to the best of my ability if I’m crying all the time and you can’t deny that truth.” Klaus stared at me for a moment, speechless, while thinking over what my words meant. Their meaning was simple and I knew he understood or else he wouldn’t be so shocked.

“But don’t you want to feel again, my love?” Klaus asked. “I know the pain hurts, I feel it every day, more so without this version of you.”

“I’m sorry for the hurt I’ve caused you, and having to watch me like that, but...what’s the point in feeling if it’ll slow me - us - down from getting our children back?” I asked him. “I’d rather turn off my emotions until I’m holding our twins in my arms, so I can work quickly to get to them.” 

“Then do it,” Klaus said. Now it’s my turn to be shocked. “I trust you if you think this is the best way to bring them home, but you have to promise me you’ll turn it on the second you see them.”

“Klaus the second I see them I promise my emotions will come on whether I want them to or not,” I explained and he chuckled a tiny bit. I brought him in for a kiss, since it had been a while between our last one, and held him close to me. I rested my forehead against his and stared into his eyes for a while, taking in the picture of his smile and the twinkle in his eyes. Sometimes I don’t deserve his loyalty to me.

“Go ahead, love,” Klaus whispered and I closed my eyes. “I’ll be by your side when you’re done.” 

I searched for my emotional line in my mind, but it was like my heart was trying to hide it from me. Like it was begging me not to do this again. However, I found it, tucked away in the back of my mind and hesitated for a moment on whether I should cut it. Was the pain really this bad? I mean I had the pack back and even though Klaus’ psychopathic parents were back too...everything didn’t seem so hopeless anymore. It was only one more obstacle and I could handle complicated things on my worst day. I did work quicker with my emotions off though, and the quicker I worked, the quicker I got to my children and never had to cut this line again.

I let out a breath and opened my eyes. I saw the sadness in Klaus’s eyes. Did he really think I wouldn’t do it? I stood up from his lap and wiped off the tears. Kol came back into the room and I turned to him. He had the biggest smile on his face, but it dropped a bit when he met my gaze.

“Well, so much for feelings,” Kol sighed before Marcel came into the room. 

“I checked the perimeter, and he's definitely gone,” Marcel informed us and Klaus sighed. 

“I appreciate your assistance,” Klaus said to him and Marcel smiled. 

“Well, hey! You die, I die. Just call me selfish.” Marcel jokes.

“Yeah a lot of people do,” Kol budded in and looked at Klaus. “But we have a slightly more pressing issue at hand.” I looked at them and rolled my eyes. 

“This list just gets bigger and bigger whenever we leave you guys alone,” I said and tugged Klaus with me as we left. “Kol, you’re coming with us and can explain on the way back.” Kol followed us back to the car and we got in as Klaus drove to New Orleans. I turned to him in the backseat. “Spill.”

“On one condition,” Kol said. “Klaus gives me my dagger along with Finn’s.” Klaus slammed on the breaks and turned to Kol. 

“What?” Klaus asked.

“Look, if something goes south, one of us is going to end up in a coffin, and I want to make sure it isn't me. So I’ll tell you what I know if you promise to give me the daggers.” Kol explained and Klaus looked like he was about to kill him. Soon enough he turned around and started to drive again, which Kol and I took as yes. 

“Ok, now that’s over with. Spill. What happened to Elijah?” I asked him.

“Remember that plan I told you about, well... it went well for everyone except for him and Oliver. When Marcel, Victor, and I went to the spot Elijah and Oliver were at - they weren’t there. The werewolves that tried to attack them were torn to shreds, which makes me think a witch took them,” I rolled my eyes as I sat back in my seat. 

“Great.”


	9. Chapter 8

###  Alex’s P.O.V

I was leaning against the patio railing outside my room. The little yellow envelope had my name neatly written on top of it and I sighed. There are only two people who know what today is. One’s dead and the other is MIA, so who the fuck sent me this. Unless one of them told Caroline...no my brothers wouldn’t do that. I heard a tortured scream and sighed realizing that meant Klaus was almost done with his interrogation. I walked back inside the room and opened up the top drawer next to my side of the bed. Throwing the card inside, I closed it and my golden necklace caught my eye. It had gathered a bit of dust on top of it. I grabbed it and wiped it off, before putting it back. 

Klaus walked into the room covered head to toe in blood and wiping his hands off as he made his way to the bathroom. I followed him in and leaned against the counter. “Did it go well?” I asked. Klaus looked at me before he began to pull his bloody shirt off of his body, dropping it to the ground. 

“Turns out these witches are delicate creatures. No matter! I suspected my mother had Elijah captive.” Klaus answered, then grabbed a washcloth and began to wipe off his face.

“Great. Let’s go scratch this off our to-do list!” I exclaimed and Klaus shook his head.

“Esther’s too powerful. She won't be easily found. I need to draw her out.” Klaus explained. 

“And two people will make it go a lot faster,” I added. Klaus dropped the washcloth in the sink and walked over to me. 

“I know you want to get this over with, Alex, but you can't come with me. My mother is wretched. She will target you in order to thwart me as Mikael did, and I can't very well save Elijah if I'm busy saving you, can I?” Klaus asked and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I will not let another one of my parents hurt you again.” Klaus then gave me a long soft kiss and walked over to our closet. 

“Ok,” I said as I made my way to the bedroom door. “Call if you need me.” 

“Where are you going?” Klaus asked and I turned around to him. 

“Daniel is going to Marcel to ask him to be a distraction while Victor and I get Oliver. Hayley texted me saying that he’s going to be executed at midnight tonight. Now while they set up whatever they can, I’m heading north to go find that mystery Alpha we heard about a while back and, with any luck, your pack. My goal is to convince them to help us with the rescue, since Hayley seems determined to save him and I don’t want to lose any more family members.” I explained. “So, if you need back up in order to get Elijah and yourself out safely.  _ Call me _ .” When I saw Klaus’s nod I walked out of the room.

I paused as I passed by the living room, having spotted Kol sitting there reading a book and drinking a glass of whiskey. Kol has nothing to do since Klaus is determined to find Elijah on his own, and having an Original as a backup in case things go south would be a good thing. I walked into the living room and stood in front of Kol. 

“Yes?” He asked, with an amused smile. 

“Want to come with me today?” I asked him. 

“Why?” Kol wondered as he closed the book he was reading.

“I’m going out to the Bayou to look for Klaus’s pack. They went north looking for an Alpha, and considering how they haven’t come back I think they found one. Sadly, I don’t know how said Alpha will react to me being a hybrid.” I explained.

“Meaning you need backup?” Kol asked with an amused smile.

“Yes, I need backup and you’re not doing anything,” I answered.

“On the contrary darling, I’m quite busy re-reading Hamlet,” He said and lifted up the book a bit.

“Ok, happy reading,” I said and walked off, but Kol sped in front of me before I left the room.

“Although, going Alpha searching in the Bayou sounds more fun,” Kol informed me and I nodded. 

“Great! Let's go. We’re losing daylight,” I exclaimed and he followed me out. 

####  ~In the Bayou~

The pack has to be somewhere nearby. My phone buzzed and I stopped to look in case it was Klaus. Of course he would call me when I’m in the most remote part of the Bayou. The caller ID read Damon. It’s probably a hacker who found a dead man’s number to use as a new identity. After declining the call I put my phone in my back pocket. 

“Looks like your brother’s back from the dead,” Kol commented, having looked over my shoulder. 

“Or it could have been someone who simply stole his ID,” I answered.

“How would you know if you don’t answer?” Kol asked and I didn’t respond. 

Walking for another 20 minutes while looking around, I heard voices close by and the shuffling of feet. We hid in the bushes and saw a group of people surrounding the firepit and talking while others carried on with simple tasks. One of the girls was wearing a tank top with her back to me and I was able to make out the crescent birthmark on her shoulder. 

“I didn’t think any Crescents went up north?” Kol whispered to me, but I didn’t answer him. I pulled out my phone to text Hayley and Klaus that I found them when I heard a cracking sound behind me. 

Speeding around, I turned and caught the two arrows shot in my direction while Kol caught the one fired at him. I dropped them on the ground while squaring my shoulders and searched for my attacker. They’re good at hiding, I’ll give them that. “Is that your best shot?” I called out. “You're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want to hurt us.”

My attacker came out of his hiding place. He had a bow and arrows strapped to his back as he walked towards me while pulling out a knife. Alright, fight time it is. However you look very familiar. The dark hair and jaw structure reminded me of Klaus in a way, but he couldn’t be related to Klaus. 

Kol looked ready to pounce on the man when a gruff voice called out, “Stop!” The man stopped his advances at the command, but the voice. I know that voice. Where do I know that voice? I grabbed Kol’s arm to stop him from attacking the guy with the knife. I would have turned around but I didn’t want to take my eyes off the guy who tried to shoot me with an arrow.

“You know her?” Our attacker asked the person who’d stop him. 

“Yeah, she’s my mother.” With that answer I turned around to face the unknown person. I stumbled back a bit when I saw his face, which caused Kol to look between us confused. The dark red-orange hair that reminded me of fire and sharp jawline that reminded me so much of Erin, but those bright blue eyes...that was a Salvatore trait.

“Alex?” Kol asked. He was worried now since I looked like I had seen a ghost and for all, I knew that is exactly what had happened.

“You’re dead.” I breathe out.

“And you are too, or at least you’re supposed to be,” He said. 

“You can’t be him.” I denied.

“Moth-” I sped the imposter to the tree and held him there by his shoulders. 

“Stop calling me that!” I yelled. “You are not my son! My sons are dead. Charles is dead! They died...they’ve been dead for years.” 

“From my perspective you died when I was merely four years old!” The imposter said.

“BE SILENT!” I screamed and he looked frightened by my tone. “You’re one of Esther’s tricks so I’ll take her deal.” 

“Moth-” Charles, or the man claiming to be him, quickly corrected himself. “Alexandria. I swear I’m not working for this Esther person, ok? I don’t know who that is or what she’s done to upset you, meaning I can’t be a part of her plans.” He explained very carefully. I stared at him and looked for any indication that he was lying. His heartbeat was steady, he didn’t twitch and there was no sweat. I let go of him and stepped back a bit. 

“Then why are you wearing my dead son’s face?” I asked. “Heartbeats can be faked, so what are you? A doppelganger or something?”

“No,” He answered. 

“Then who are you?” Kol asked.

“My original name is Charles Fell-” I scoffed and he gave me a pointed look. “However I changed it to Charles Labonair when I got married to my second wife. My mother was - is - Alexandria Elizabeth Salvatore and my father’s name was Erin Fell. I had a brother named William who was four years younger than me.”

“You could have gotten that information from someone,” Kol told him. “It proves nothing.”

“Then what do you want me to say?” ‘Charles’ asked him. “That before I moved to New Orleans, I was married to a wonderful woman and had a beautiful daughter any man would die to have. Then when some stranger looked at my wife the wrong way, I challenged him for impinging on my wife’s honor, which led to his death and me being his killer. That - like a coward - I ran from Mystic Falls to protect their safety and broke their hearts, along with my brother’s, in the process. Then five years later, I fell in love again, remarried, and changed my last name so that no one could find me, then proceed to have five more kids. That because of my actions, my little brother despised me so much, he didn’t even come to see me on my deathbed-”

I cut him off from listing anymore by asking, “What did I say when I saw you for the last time?” 

“What?” He was taken aback by the question.

“You asked what it would take to prove yourself, so what did I say to you when I gave you my family ring?” I asked. 

“That no matter what happens to me, you’d always be by William and I’s side even if you weren’t physically there. You’d always be watching over us no matter what we were doing or going through. For Eternity.” He answered and I felt the tears in my eyes. 

“Charles,” I whispered softly, he walked up to me slowly.

“Yes, mother, it’s me,” Charles pulled me into a hug and I was still shocked. “It’s really me.” NO! I pushed whatever feelings I had down as far as I could, but even that wasn’t what I wanted. Twenty percent on. I could still get a lot done with eighty percent of my emotions off. With that sorted out I returned the hug and held my son close to me. 

“Alex,” Kol said and I pulled away from my son. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” I nodded and looked at Charles.

“Go ahead, Ansel, and I will be by the firepit,” Charles said.

“Wait, your name is Ansel?” I asked the man who attacked me and he nodded. “You don’t happen to Klaus’ biological father, do you?”

“You know of my son?” Ansel asked and Kol walked right up to my side.

“Alex, now,” Kol demanded and I sighed. We walked out of earshot of the two werewolves. I thought to myself for a moment. Why would Esther bring back Charles? Her past lover I understand, but my son. “Please tell me you’re not believing this.” 

“I don’t know what to believe,” I answered. “I can see why Esther would bring back her past lover-”

“Yes, I can understand that too, but your son? Your son who has been dead for decades. It’s a trick Alex.” Kol explained.

“But what if it isn’t?” I asked him. “I mean she brought back Henrik.”

“Oh please, Finn was just saying that to wind us up at dinner.” Kol brushed off. 

“No, he wasn’t, I spoke to him Kol,” I said. “Klaus and I both did. He might be siding with your mother but he is back from the dead, so why can’t my son?”

“Why would Esther do that?” Kol asked. 

“I don’t know. To remind me how I felt as a parent, to make me long for more children, or maybe it’s some misplaced sense of guilt for taking the twins from me. All of which would lead me to take her deal, and no matter the reason, they don’t speak for her.” I explained.

“How do you know that?” Kol asked. “Or are you trusting the man who is claiming to be your son?”

“None of them have moonlight rings,” I mentioned. “Don’t you think if they were working for Esther that every werewolf here would have a moonlight ring.”

Kol paused and looked at the werewolves a few feet away from us. After thinking to himself about what I said, he looked at me and sighed. “Ok, but just because they aren’t working for my mother doesn’t mean I trust them.”

“Ok,” I agreed and walked over to Charles and Ansel, who was sitting by the fire. 

I sat down on one of the logs next to Charles. Ansel was across from me while Kol sat down on my right. He kept his eyes on Ansel and Ansel looked at him, before looking at me. “You never answered my question. How do you know my son?”

“I’m his girlfriend,” I answered. 

“Slash soulmate,” Kol added and I nodded. 

“And who are you?” Charles asked him.

“Kol Mikaelson,” Kol answered Charles, and my son then looked at me.

There was a silence as we stared at each other. “Why didn’t you come back?” Charles asked and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“I was a new vampire, your father was part of the Council and knew I was dead by the time I finished transition. He would have outed me,” I explained. “By the time I did learn control you had already grieved me and began to move on with your life. I wasn’t going to ruin that.”

“Dad wouldn’t have outed you. The day he told us about vampires, Dad said he wished you had transitioned, so he could have his best friend back.” Charles explained and I felt tears in my eyes. 

My son had his head bowed and I opened my mouth only to close it again. I heard someone walk up behind us and I turned to her. It was the Crescent girl Kol and I saw earlier. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but are the rumors true?” She asked. “Are the witches really going to kill Oliver?”

“No,” I told her, changing the subject. “We have a plan and our friends are working on it as I speak.” She nodded, then placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” She said and I nodded, before she walked away. Charles looked at me confused, but I didn’t look at him as I turned back around.

“Why are you here?” Ansel asked me. 

“To find your pack. Klaus took over the role of Alpha when they came to New Orleans looking for help and wanted to tell them they could come back if they wanted too. Hayley is back in the Bayou while Klaus and I, along with his siblings, try to make the city safe for them again. It’s up to the pack if they want to come back, and we aren’t forcing their decision.” I explained, although fifty percent of what I said was a lie.

“Is he a good leader?” Ansel asked and Kol quietly chuckled.

“With Alex by his side, yes. She keeps him from losing his temper.” Kol answered. 

“Am I then to assume you are the genuine Alpha for both packs?” Ansel asked and I thought about it for a moment. 

“I guess, but I don’t see myself as one. I just want to protect my family and help them as much as possible.” I explained. 

“I am happy you are his soulmate then,” Ansel answered. Did I just get approved by Klaus’s dad? “Where is he?” 

“Talking to Mother in the hopes that she’ll tell him where Elijah is being held captive,” Kol explained.

“That does not sound like the Esther I know,” Ansel said, confused.

“Yeah, well she’s changed a lot. I mean she’s tried to kill me twice then when that failed she-” I looked at Charles then down at the ground. “She had our children killed.”

“I have more siblings?” Charles asked and I nodded.

“Had.” I corrected him.

“I am sorry,” Ansel apologized and I nodded. “I know what it is like to have your child ripped from you before you have not had even a moment to raise them.” 

I gave him a sad smile when my phone buzzed and I looked down to see a text from ‘Damon.’ It read:  _ If you don’t answer the next call, so help me god Alexandria, I will come down to New Orleans and drag you home _ .

“Wonderful! Another trick that someone wishes to play on you,” Kol said. I gave him a pointed look, before standing up and walking out of earshot to answered the next call. 

“ _ Finally _ ,” The person sighed. 

“Who is this?” I asked. “And how the fuck did you get my brother’s phone number?”

“ _ Really, Alexandria _ . _ It’s my phone _ . _ You were there when I bought it _ ,” The thief said.

“Who are you?” I asked again.

“ _ It’s me. Damon _ .  _ Look I know it’s hard to believe that I’m back, but I am or else you wouldn’t be talking on the phone right now _ ,” ‘Damon’ said.

“Prove it,” I stated.

“ _ What _ ?” He asked.

“Prove to me that you are in fact the Damon Salvatore,” I repeated. There was a moment of silence and I scoffed. “I knew it. Look if you ever call me again impersonating my brother-”

“ _ Happy birthday _ ,” He said, cutting me off. I froze, speechless, as I realized it was actually Damon talking to me. 

“You bastard,” I groaned.

“ _ What _ ?” Damon asked. “ _ I’m not allowed to wish you a happy birthday _ ?  _ Who else is going to do it _ ?  _ Stefan _ .  _ According to him you two haven’t been talking and I know for a fact that you haven’t told Klaus _ .”

“This family keeps growing and growing,” I mumbled. 

“ _ What’s that supposed to mean _ ?” He asked. 

“Long story short: Esther and Mikael are back from the dead. Along with Finn, Henrik, Klaus’s biological dad, and Charles,” I explained.

“ _ Charles _ ?  _ He’s been dead for over a century _ . _ ” _

“Yup and Esther brought him back before the other side collapsed,” I explained.

“ _ Why would she do that _ ?”

“To remind me of the joy that comes from being a parent. I.e. she wants to stick me into a werewolf body, while she probably kills my hybrid form.” I elaborated. 

“ _ But you have the twins _ ?” Damon questioned. “ _ Why would she need Charles to remind you of that when you have them _ ?”

“Because I don’t have them, Damon,” I confessed. “The witches killed them for a stupid sacrifice to their ancestors. For Esther.”

There was a mini silence before he asked, “ _ What did you name them _ ?”

“Cordelia and Leo,” I answered.

“ _ I like those names _ ,” Damon said solemnly. “ _ Also I would like to see my nephew again _ .”

“I will send you Charles’ phone number,” I looked over at my eldest child. “Once I get him a phone.”

“ _ And teach him to use it _ .” 

“Shut up,” I said. 

“ _ I have to go _ ,” Damon said.

“Going to see a certain girl?” I teased and he chuckled.

“ _ Maybe _ ,” Damon answered. “ _ But open up the birthday card _ .  _ I picked it out and Stefan compelled the mailman to get it there today _ .” 

“Ok, ok,” I said to him.

“ _ You haven’t hung up yet _ ,” Damon said.

“I’m scared that if I do, you’ll disappear,” I told him honestly.

“ _ Then how about I promise to facetime you later tonight if you hang up after this _ ,” Damon said.

“Ok, goodbye Damon,” I said.

“ _ I’ll talk to you tonight _ ,” He said and I took a deep breath before hanging up. 

Then I froze. Scared. Shock. Sarcasm that wasn’t fake. Are you fucking kidding me emotions? Stop showing up. I closed my eyes and cut the line again. However it wouldn’t cut as easily as it did yesterday. Did my son and brother coming back really make it that strong? I opened my eyes. Fine. Pushing them away and ignoring them it is. 

I walked back over and sat back down with a little smile on my face, “Alright, then let’s get down to business. I need help getting Oliver out.”

“I thought you had your friends helping you,” Charles said. 

“I do but they’ll need back up, and here we are,” I answered. 

“Why do you want to save him anyway?” He asked. “According to some of the people he took a moonlight ring and betrayed the pack.”

“And he’s been making up for that by being our inside man with the witches. I’m the reason he’s there, to begin with and I owe him a rescue mission.” I explained 

Charles thought about it for a moment. “I’m sorry, mother, but I don’t know him, so I don’t need to help him,” Charles said. “Like you said the witches have him. He’s a dead man walking.”

“So are you technically,” Kol stated, then slapped his hands on his knees as he stood up. “But fine. If you don’t want to help we won’t force you.” Kol stood up and began to walk back to the quarter. 

I looked over at my son, disappointed, and said, “Take the pack and go down south to your great-great-granddaughter, Hayley.” I went to leave when Ansel began to grab his stuff and follow me. I sighed and stood in front of him. “Look, I know you’re Klaus’s dad and all but do you have a problem with me or somethin’?” 

“I have no love of vampires, but I will not allow a wolf to be killed by witches,” Ansel answered, then began to walk in the direction I came from as I turned to Charles. 

“At least someone wants to help those who need it,” I scolded my son and he looked down at the ground before I left. 


	10. Chapter 9

### Alex’s P.O.V

#### ~In the Bayou~

“ _Tell me you got your backup,_ ” Marcel said over the phone. Ansel and Kol were following me as we walked back to where the pack was. I had to meet up with Hayley and Victor first. 

“Not really,” I answered. “But it’s something. I’m assuming you have a plan to keep Finn occupied.” 

“ _Yeah_ ,” He answered. “ _Yeah_ , _I think I might have an idea_.” Then Marcel hung up and I put my phone away.

Kol walked up to me once the phone was in my pocket and sighed. “What Kol?” I asked him.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit too convenient for your brother and son to come back from the dead? Like someone somewhere really wants you to feel again.” Kol told me.

“I’m pretty sure the only person who wants that is Elijah, and he’s currently missing.” I shot back. Before Kol could say anything more Ansel walked up to us. 

“How long do we have to save this Oliver?” Ansel asked. 

“Till Midnight,” I answered, then it went silent. 

“Wait, now I have to help save a werewolf?” Kol asked. “I only said that back there so we could leave.”

“You don’t have to help, Kol, you can go home if you want,” I told him.

“Then I’ll see you when you return,” Kol replied and sped away. 

I kept walking with Ansel and turned to see him watching me. “What?” I asked. 

“I’m happy Niklaus found you,” Ansel answered. “He needs someone like you.”

“You barely know me and you’re approving of my relationship with your son,” I laughed.

“I’ve watched over Niklaus from the moment Mikael murdered me. I apologize for earlier, but I had to be sure you were who I thought you were.” Ansel explained.

“Well, I’m sure Klaus will enjoy the sentiment once you can convince him you're real and not working for Esther,” I told him.

“Like how Charles convinced you?” Ansel asked and I nodded. “I’m surprised you recognized him since the last time he saw you, he was merely four years old.”

“Just because I couldn’t be in his life as a vampire, doesn’t mean I didn’t check in on him,” I stated. I saw Hayley talking to Victor from afar and walked up to them. Hayley turned to me and smiled, happy to see I was back. They looked at Ansel then at me.

“Is this the Alpha?” Victor asked.

“One of them,” I answered. “This is Ansel. The other one is with the missing Crescents and members of Klaus’ pack.” I turned to Victor. “Is everything set?”

“Yes,” Victor answered.

“Then we need to get going. We’re wasting time,” Ansel informed us and I nodded.

“Hayley stay here. The other Alphas name is Charles and hopefully, he will come here later with the rest of our pack.” I told them. 

“Why are we bringing an absolute stranger with us?” Victor asked. 

“The stranger is Klaus’s biological dad. Charles is my eldest son and Hayley’s great-great-grandfather. Both of them were brought back by Esther, yet neither of them has been used as puppets or else the pack they were protecting would all have moonlight rings on them.” I explained. Hayley and Victor were shocked by the information I had told them. “So stay here and we’ll come back when we have Oliver.” With that said, grabbed Ansel, and Victor then sped away before Victor could stop me.

#### ~At Lafayette Cemetery~

Ansel, Victor and I were searching for Oliver. There was fog in the pathways throughout the cemetery. Victor then tapped my shoulder and pointed at the Lycée. “Yeah, what about it?” I asked quietly.

“Got word that’s where he was there minutes before you came,” Victor answered. And you didn’t think to tell me this earlier?! We made our way up to the Lycée and walked inside. Oliver was bloody and suspended by his wrists, in the greenhouse. “Oliver! Ollie, wake up!” Victor said to him and he looked up at us weekly.

“The hell are you doing?” Oliver asked us and looked at Ansel. “Who the hell is that?” Ansel made his way to the window while Victor and I inspected the chains holding him up. 

“We're here to save your ass. Out of curiosity, do you know where Elijah is?” Oliver shook his head weakly. “No, didn’t think so,” I mumbled. 

“They know we're here,” Ansel said suddenly and I listened to the sounds of werewolves jumping down from the crypts as they made their way to the Lycée. I looked at Victor who was standing behind Oliver and gave him a slight nod. 

“Sorry.” Victor yanked the chains down and broke them. “We don’t have the time to be gentle,” I said as Oliver fell to the floor and Victor quickly pulled him up. Ansel prepared his quiver as Oliver looked at us anxiously. 

“Just leave me here. Go!” Oliver said and I shook my head.

“No! I didn’t spend a whole day figuring out how to save you only to leave you here! If they want a fight, they’ll get a fight.” I explained.

“No.” I looked at Ansel as he approached me. 

“You may be an Alpha, but you definitely don’t tell me what to do,” I growled.

“I came with you to save one of my own, not to watch as you kill scores of them,” Ansel explained and I rolled my eyes. “Take your friend out the back, move as fast as you can. I'll hold them off here.” I turned to Victor.

“Go,” I said to him and he nodded before speeding out.

“You too,” Ansel said and I shook my head. 

“No, I’m going out there and looking for Elijah,” I answered. “If you want to fight Esther’s army by yourself...fine, but there’s a good chance he’s here too.” I walked around him. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” 

I sped out of there and quickly texted Hayley saying Victor was coming back with Oliver, while I helped Klaus with something else. Then I began to rush to any and all crypts. One, by one, I searched for Elijah. Come on. You’ve got to be here somewhere. This is the only logical spot for you to be hidden. I felt the soulmate bond pull me in a certain direction. Good, maybe Klaus knows which crypt Elijah’s in. 

I ran in the direction it pulled me in and stopped when I heard Klaus yelling, “ _You’re a phantom conjured by Esther_. _That is all you are_ .” He walked down some steps. Guess he found Ansel. “ _Mother_! _Stop this charade_! _I know that thing is not real_.” 

I walked out of my spot and Klaus stopped when he saw me, “Alex? What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Looking for Elijah,” I answered.

“You said you’d be in the Bayou,” Klaus said.

“And I was, where I met you, dad,” I answered and gestured to Ansel. 

“That is not my father. It’s just one of Esther's illusions.” Klaus explained.

“Well, then it’s a fucking good one considering how he helped me today,” I explained. “Look at him, Klaus. That’s your father.” He stared into my eyes as I gave him an encouraging nod. We need to get this over with. Klaus slowly turned around as Ansel walked up to him.

“I swear to you I am flesh and blood,” Ansel said. “Your flesh and blood.” Klaus then walked up to him. 

“You’ve been dead a thousand years,” Klaus told him. 

“Through that time, I lingered on the Other Side. Watching you let the world fall apart. Until I woke, four moons passed in a land of wolves like myself and her eldest son only a few feet away unconscious.” You and Charles have been here since November. Klaus looked at me confused and gave him a look that said ‘later,’ then he turned back to Ansel in denial.

“No. No!” Klaus screamed, but I heard the emotion in his voice. Was he upset? “No,” Klaus turned back towards me. “You’re just in my head. You’re an illusion. Meant by my mother to sway me to accepting her bargain.” 

“No, he’s not Klaus,” I said to him and stopped him in his tracks. “I went to the Bayou and found him along with my eldest son, Charles. They didn’t know about Esther or the deal she keeps trying to get us to agree to. If they did then all the wolves they’ve been looking over would have had moonlight rings.” 

“He can’t be real,” Klaus stated and I saw the tears in his eyes.

“But he is,” I heard a female say and turned around to see Esther. 

“Where’s Elijah?” I asked her.

“So determined to save him, and here I thought his dream was merely a fantasy,” Esther said, then twisted her wrist in front of me and caused me to have a headache. “I’d thought you’d stay with your son in the Bayou while Niklaus saved his older brother,” I grabbed my head and fell to my knees as she made the headache worse. “But no you always have to run and help them in all the messes they drag you into. They don’t deserve you and you don’t deserve the life you were forced into.” Klaus rushed towards Esther, but she waved her hand and threw him into a nearby crypt, keeping him pinned there, as I began to scream in pain. “I thought your son would make you resent being a hybrid. Remind you of your human life-” 

Suddenly Esther stopped talking and I looked up to see Charles with a blade to her neck. “Let my mother go **now** , or else I’ll cut off your head without a second thought.” He growled and Esther looked at Ansel behind me. Over my shoulder, I saw him ready to shoot an arrow at her.

“You’d defend her?” Esther asked him.

“She is our son’s soulmate Esther,” Ansel answered. “She is his heart and it’s my job as his father to protect his heart. Even if it’s from you.” With that, Esther stopped her spells, and Charles dropped the blade before running over to me as Klaus sped over. Klaus grabbed me by the shoulder and looked me over as Ansel walked closer to her till he was standing beside me. “Now answer her question. Where is Elijah?”

“Go to the right, it’s the third crypt on your left,” She answered, her voice laced with sadness. I stood up and looked at Charles. 

“Go, see if he’s really there. He’ll be in formal clothes of some measure and probably chained up.” I told him and he hesitated to leave me here. “Go, Charles. I’m safe with Klaus.” He looked at my boyfriend before running in the direction Esther told him too.

“You’d think I’d lie?” Esther asked.

“All you’ve done from the moment I met you is lie and attack my family.” I spat. Charles came rushing back and nodded at me. 

“He’s there. I ripped off the binding doll that stopped his chains from breaking and broke them off the wall. He wouldn’t wake up though.” Charles explained as he walked back over to us.

“And he won’t. Not yet.” Esther said. “Which gives us one last chance to discuss my offer.” 

“You promised me Elijah’s safe return, or was that another one of your lies?!” Klaus growled.

“No, it wasn’t. Like how your father and Alex’s son’s return isn’t as well.” Esther said.

“To what end? Besides the torment brought by the father I wish I’d known and the child Alex lost?” Klaus asked again.

“I brought Ansel here to be the father you never had, and Charles to be the son Alex never got to raise. To teach you both to become the people you always longed to be. Once you are both remade as werewolves, you can join them. Be the perfect family and die of old age by each other's sides.” Esther explained.

“Their return changes nothing,” Klaus spoke. Then I felt it, all the emotion I’ve decided to ignore today. It is coming out now. Why now?

“They change everything, and you know it.” Esther rebuked. “It is my gift to you. This offer is your last chance at salvation.” Her words rubbed me the wrong way. “Do not refuse me out of some ancient spite-”

I cut her off, “It’s not spite.” I began to walk closer to her. “It’s hatred. The same hatred I felt when you first tried to take my life, and Klaus when he took yours. However, now I can say it’s only grown stronger in both of our cases” 

“Why? After all, I’ve done to explain to you both, why must you persist-?” Esther begged and I lost it.

I sped up and pinned her to the crypt, directly behind her, by the neck. “Because you came for our children you psychotic bitch!” I screamed at her face and she struggled to breathe. “Our daughter and son...only moments after they had entered the world.”

“You don’t understand,” Esther coughed out. 

“They were our children! Your grandchildren!” I yelled and she shook her head.

“Niklaus, Alexandria, I had to.” She stated. Esther used another spell and held my grip on her while blood ran down my nose.

“I don’t care about your reasons. You're delusional and self-righteous in your own guilt. The next time you come for anyone I love, I’ll rip this head off, and then the next, and the next, until you decide that staying dead is easier than getting me to take your pathetic offer.” I threatened then dropped her to the ground and sped to the crypt where Elijah was.

My heart broke at the sight of him as I ran to his side. Elijah was lying on the floor with a little cloth doll, ripped in half, and thrown behind him. I forgot to ask Charles how he knew to do that. Elijah’s light blue shirt was ripped up and covered in blood. He looked peaceful while asleep, but knowing that the dream was caused by Esther, the best I could hope for was a simple nightmare. I took the chains off his wrist as Klaus sped in and looked down at Elijah. I saw the sadness in his eyes before he picked him up and threw his brother over his shoulder. 

We walked out of the crypt and I saw Ansel and Charles waiting for us. Klaus ignored them as he continued on the route home, but I stopped and gestured for them to follow us. We could use more allies in this war.


	11. Chapter 10

### Alex’s P.O.V

#### ~At the Compound~

Oliver was dead according to the text Victor had sent me. The witches had a hex on him and there’s no way we would have known beforehand. I sighed as I laid on my side of the bed. Ansel and Charles went back to the Bayou, said they needed to check in with the pack which I understood. Turns out Charles befriended a witch when he moved here and that’s how he knew to destroy the doll in the crypt. Kol and Klaus were in the room where Elijah laid, so Klaus could explain what happened tonight to his little brother.

My phone buzzed on the bed beside me and I saw it was Damon face-timing me. I answered and was immediately greeted with the sound of a party blower, watching as it rolled back up. Behind him was Stefan and Caroline, who was holding a homemade happy birthday sign. 

Laughing, I said, “You didn’t have to do that.”

“ _See told you she doesn’t like to celebrate her birthday_ ,” Damon said as he pulled it out of his mouth. 

“ _Oh_ , _come on_ , _you deserve to celebrate your birthday_ !” Caroline argued. “ _Also how could you not tell me when it was! I thought we were friends_!” 

“We are,” I insisted. “Not to mention I didn't want to celebrate today...what with everything going on here.”

“ _You can't be_ **_so_ ** _busy that you don't celebrate today_!” Caroline exclaimed. 

“Well if it wasn’t for the card I would have,” I answered.

“ _Have you opened it_?” Stefan asked and I looked at him. 

“No, not yet,” I answered. 

“ _You told me you would_!” Damon protested. 

“Yeah, and I just got home from saving Elijah’s ass so give me a moment,” I argued and opened up the drawer next to me as Klaus came into the room. He looked at me confused as I pulled out the yellow envelope. Klaus sat down next to me and I handed him the phone so I could open it.

“ _Hey get out of here party crasher_!” Damon yelled at him which caused Klaus to look even more confused. He wrapped his arm around me so I was in the camera frame.

“Shut it!” I snapped at him. “Klaus has every right to be here.” I then kissed the side of my boyfriend's cheek, while pulling out the card. I looked back to see my brothers wearing disgusted faces and Caroline hitting them on the back of their heads.

“ _He makes her happy_. _Leave him be_.” Caroline scolded and I chuckled.

“ _So what are you defending Klaus now_?” Stefan asked.

“ _No_ , _the man tried to get Tyler to kill me on my own birthday_ , _but consider it my birthday gift to defend him on hers_ ,” Caroline answered and I smiled.

“Thank you, Care,” I said as Klaus looked down at me.

“It’s your birthday?” Klaus asked and I nodded while looking at the card.

“ _YOU DIDN’T EVEN TELL HIM_!” Caroline shouted.

“No, I didn’t. Now hush and let me concentrate on my birthday card.” I snapped and looked down. 

The card was white with a cartoon drawing on it. There were two old ladies, one was wearing a blue shirt and standing next to the table, while the other had a pink shirt and was sitting down. They both wore party hats and funny glasses. The cake sat in front of the lady with a pink shirt and the top of it was on fire. Below it read, “ **There was no way I could fit that many candles on the cake, so I just set it on fire.** ” 

I looked up at Damon, “Very funny.” I commented jokingly and he only smirked in response. I opened it up to see ‘ **_Happy 174th Birthday!_ **’ written in black marker. There were two messages on the page next to it. 

The first one said ‘ _Happy birthday to one of my greatest friends_! _I know I haven’t known you long, but I will never regret meeting you_. _I can’t wait to celebrate your many,_ **many** , birthdays to come. _Love Caroline_ ,’ and the next one said: ‘ _Happy birthday to the best older sister in the world_. _I don’t deserve the number of times you have protected me from our enemies or myself_. _I also know I have a lot to apologize for_ , _like leaving you by yourself to mourn our brother and your children when I should’ve been by your side helping you_. _I hope you can forgive me and remember that, despite my actions_ , _I love you more than anyone (especially Damon)_. _I hope you have a wonderful birthday and come home soon to see us_. _Love your little brother, Stefan._ ’

I looked back under the black marker to see one message. It read: ‘ _Ok_ , _after reading Stefan’s message_ , _I’m one) offended and two) want to make it clear that no one on planet earth loves you more than me_ .’ That first line made me chuckle a bit. ‘ _You’re the best sister I could ask for and no one_ , _especially our dumbasses_ , _deserves you as one_. _I know I’ve failed in showing how much you mean to me_ , _but it’s never changed_. _If I had to choose between you and saving the universe_ , _I’d choose you in a heartbeat because you're irreplaceable in my eyes_. _So I hope you like the gift inside this envelope and I hope you find the joke on the front funny_ _because I don’t know if you’ve tried...but it’s very hard to stick 174 candles on a cake meant for three_ .’ I laughed again. ‘ _I love you_ , _Alexandria_ , _and no one will ever be able to steal your place in my heart_. - _Your brother_ , _Damon_.’

I looked up at them and gave them a happy smile while I felt a tear run down my face. The will I had to push back my emotions and turn them off had vanished. I didn’t feel alone anymore with them and Klaus here. I heard Caroline say “Awe” and felt Klaus wipe off the tear as I laughed slightly. 

“Sorry, all the emotions are kinda overwhelming,” I explained and placed the card in my lap. 

“ _Wait_ , _did you turn it off_ ?” I nodded while grabbing the yellow envelope. “ _This is why we don’t leave her alone!_ ” Damon yelled at Stefan and I saw Stefan looked down guilty.

“It’s not his fault, he was in pain too,” I said to Damon. “Charles and you returning gave me enough strength to turn them back on subconsciously, and the lovely messages only helped.”

“ _Wait_ , _Charles is back_?” Stefan asked.

“ _Yeah_ , _I forgot to tell you our nephew is back from the dead_ ,” Damon casually said.

“Along with my mother, father, birth father, and two dead brothers,” Klaus elaborated.

“As I said earlier, Caroline, we’ve been busy,” I added in.

“ _Holy shit_ ,” She cursed. “ _Your problems are worse than what’s going on here_.” 

“ _When did she tell you this_?” Stefan asked Damon, still confused.

“ _When I called her earlier today to say I was alive since I knew you didn’t tell her_ ,” Damon answered/scolded as I pulled out the little photos in the envelope. One was a newer photo of Damon, Stefan, and I from the ’90s, and then the other was the photo from Gloria's bar of Klaus and I dancing in the ’20s.

“When did you do this?” I asked them. “And how did you get this photo from Gloria’s bar? I didn’t even know it was taken.”

“ _I did it a month ago when I realized your birthday was coming up_. _Even if we weren’t talking then I still wanted to send you a card_ , _so I went back to the bar_. _It’s still up and running_ , _to my surprise_ , _and got the photo since it was still there_. _Then I just found the other one when I came back to Mystic Falls_ , _and had them resized so you could update the photos in your locket_.” Stefan explained.

“Thank you,” I said to him, then put the photos back in the envelope. “Now answer me this, Damon, how the actual fuck are you alive?” 

“ _When I got stuck on the other side as it was collapsing in on itself_ , _I grabbed onto Bonnie_. _Next thing we knew we were fine and somewhere else_. _Turned out we were in a prison world made by a coven of Gemini witches to hold a psycho member of the said coven_.” Damon explained. 

“How’d you figure that out?” I asked him. 

“ _We met the psycho member_. _His name is Kai Parker by the way_ ,” Damon answered. “ _Anyway_ , _Kai eventually told us how to get out of there_ , _and Bonnie ended up sacrificing herself in order to send me home_.” His voice was laced with sadness by the end.

“We owe her too much,” I told them and everyone nodded. Then I looked at Stefan and he sighed.

“ _Yes_ , _I know you were right to keep looking and not give up_. _I get it_.” My little brother huffed, then stood up and walked out of view, while I laughed. It’s good to have things back to normal.

“ _Look we have to go_ , _long day tomorrow_ ,” Caroline said and I nodded.

“Same here,” I answered.

“ _Love you, Alex_ ,” Care said and I smiled.

“ _Love you too, Caroline_ ,” I responded, then she walked out. “Then there were three.”

Damon chuckled. “ _More like two_ , _I have to get my beauty sleep so I can figure out how to convince my girlfriend to remember that she loves me_ .” I looked at him confused. “ _Oh_ , _yeah_ , _Elena went to the dark side and asked Alaric_ , _who we saved from the other side and is alive by the way_ , _to compel her love for me away_.”

“Fucking hell,” I whispered. “All we have to do is wake up Elijah.”

“And deal with my family,” Klaus added.

“Ok. Fair point,” I agreed. “But I’m happy Alaric’s back. I like him.”

“ _Yeah_ , _me too_. _I’ll talk to you soon_ ,” Damon said and I nodded.

“I love you, brother,” I said. “Don’t go dying on me again.”

“ _I won’t and love you too_ ,” Damon said. “ _My only wish you had a candle to blow out or something_.”

“I don’t need it. I got my wish.” I answered.

“ _That was incredibly cheesy_ ,” Damon commented and I laughed.

“Goodnight Damon,” I said. 

“ _Goodnight Alexandria_ ,” He said and hung up. I put the card and phone on the nightstand beside me. Then I turned and wrapped my arms around Klaus as I snuggled into him. 

“This has been a very interesting birthday,” I said to him.

“I imagine it would be,” He commented. “Are you going to turn off your emotions now?” 

“No, I don’t think so,” I said. “With Charles back, it would be pointless. Every time I see him, I see the little boy I raised before I turned and I remember all those emotions. So I guess Esther accomplished that task of her plan.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I’ve missed seeing you smile. However, I wished you told me it was your birthday.” Klaus told me.

“Celebrating my birthday can wait until we save Elijah,” I explained. “How is he by the way?”

“Still trapped in whatever nightmare Esther has created for him,” Klaus answered and I sighed. “Let’s go to bed. I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted after dealing with my mother.” 

“And Ansel?” I asked. Klaus didn’t say anything so I sat up, straddling his lap. “He’s your father, Klaus. You can’t ignore him.” 

“I still think he’s Esther puppet.” 

“If he was he wouldn’t have threatened to kill her,” I told him and made Klaus look me in the eye. “He wouldn’t have defended me or helped me and Victor save Oliver. Take this opportunity to get to know your father Klaus because if I were you...I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

“And Charles?” Klaus asked. 

“Charles is my son. My oldest in fact,” I told him. “It’ll take a while for him to get used to us dating and then, hopefully, by the time we bring the twins home, everything will work itself out. Alright?” Klaus nodded and agreed. 

I smiled and pulled him into a deep kiss. Klaus sat up a bit and held me as close as he possibly could. He flipped us around and pushed me into the bed before breaking the kiss. “Happy birthday, my love,” Klaus smirked, then began to kiss my neck and run his hands down my sides. So much for being tired.


	12. Chapter 11

###  Alex’s P.O.V

I walked down the hallway to find Klaus. I was wearing one of his button-down shirts I had found laying in our room with some black leggings and my locket. It was roughly 6 am and still dark out when I woke up without him by my side. As I passed Elijah’s room I saw Klaus standing over him. He had his hand to Elijah’s forehead while the other rested on his chest. He spoke to Elijah in a low voice as I walked up to them. I reached out and grabbed Klaus’s shoulder when I saw blood running down from his nose. 

“Klaus-AH!” Klaus flung back, grabbing onto my shoulder to steady himself. “What are you doing?” I asked him in confusion as I wiped off the blood under his nose. Klaus, being startled by me, panted in an attempt to catch his breath as he wiped the rest of the blood from his nose. He let go of me and looked between Elijah and me. 

“I'm trying to enter Elijah's thoughts to wake him,” Klaus gestured to Elijah, who was still sleeping fitfully. “Esther's locked me out.” He stated. I sighed and walked over to Elijah. 

The sleeping original was shaking slightly from whatever dream he was having. I sat on the edge of the bed and placed a comforting hand on his left shoulder. I looked down and noticed a flower petal-shaped burn, that was branded on his neck. Pulling Elijah’s collar back a moment I traced the mark on his neck. 

“Is this a side effect?” I asked and Klaus frowned, not knowing what I was talking about. He came back over to Elijah's bedside to examine the wound more carefully as I back away but didn’t stand up. I hated seeing Elijah like this. He does everything to help Klaus and me, and now he’s the one who needs help and we don’t know-how. 

“I haven't seen this since I was a child,” Klaus said. Ok, maybe we do know. “Mikael would return home from battle more blindly temperamental than usual, and our mother would use the petals of a rare merlock orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell, and then wake him with the roots of the same plant,” He turned to me, looking hopeful. “If she has access to it now, then maybe it also grows in the Bayou. You stay here with your wolves and mind the fort.” Klaus said and went to leave, but I stood up with him.

“I should have ripped your mother's head off,” I commented and Klaus gave me a serious look. 

“Stay clear of her,” I looked away, not happy by the sentence. “I mean it, Alex. She already got to you once and hadn’t Ansel been there I fear what she would have done.” Klaus said.

“Then how about I come with you? Victor and Daniel can hold down the fort while we’re out, and Kol can look after Elijah since he can’t defend himself in that state,” I said while looking back at the elder original. “Also if I don’t go with you, I  _ will _ go after Esther or Finn while you're gone.”

“At least you’re being honest,” Klaus sighed. “Fine. You can come with me. Now go get dressed so we can leave.” I smiled and kissed his cheek before speeding to our room. 

####  ~Deep in the Bayou~

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” [I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/302233824991888018/?lp=true) asked Klaus. We had been walking around the Bayou, aimlessly, for about three hours. “Klaus!” 

He turned to me and walked up to my face, and snapped. “Yes, darling, I heard you, but no, I don’t know where I’m going, because I don’t know where they’re grown. The best we can do is search every corner of the Bayou until we do find it.” I was shocked by his outburst and he sighed. “I’m sorry for snapping, but the longer we take the more Elijah suffers.”

I nodded and mumbled a quiet, “Ok.” 

We walked a little farther when I felt like someone was watching us. I looked over my shoulder, then stood closer to Klaus as the feeling grew. There was no one there. I turned back to Klaus and shook my head a bit. I’m just being paranoid. “So,” I said. “Are we going to talk about Henrik?”

“And what does my little brother have to do with our current mission?” Klaus asked and I stopped him, by grabbing his hand. 

“I know you, and I know what Henrik meant to you. I might have been emotionless when everything went down but I knew the words affect you even then,” I told him. “Are you ok?”

“He hates me,” Klaus stated and I place my hand on his cheek. He leaned into my touch and I smiled. 

“I don’t believe that,” I said. “I think your brother is just confused. When-”

“-I killed him.” Klaus finished and looked down. I huffed and forced him to look at me.

“Listen to me. Henrik’s death was not your fault. You couldn’t have known that the werewolves would attack you. Sure you knew not to go, but what teenager hasn’t broken the rules at least once in their life. I did it whenever I could when I was growing up.” I explained. “What I think is that your manipulative mother is using this to make him hate you. How old was he, Klaus?”

“Eleven years old,” Klaus mumbled.

“Exactly, he was eleven, meaning that he is mentally still eleven years old and now he’s trapped in a teenager's body…” I paused and stared at Klaus. “I think he’s confused and only had the information Finn and Esther gave him to go off of when he woke up. Remember what Finn said? That it took them a while to convince him and that he was loyal to you guys at first. I’m sure if we sit him down and talk to him, we can convince him that you’re not the monster he believes you are.”

“How do you know that?” Klaus asked.

“Because you convinced me, and we both know how hard that was, so this should be nothing in comparison,” I answered. Klaus gave me a small kiss that went on longer than he intended.

He pulled away and whispered, “I’ve missed this version of you.”

“I love you too,” I said in response and gave him another kiss. Although I quickly pulled away because I heard breathing nearby and turned around. 

“Alex-” I held up one finger, telling him to be quiet.

“Ok, to whoever is following us, can you come out and tell me why you decided to be our stalker for the day?” I called out. From the trees, Ansel appeared in front of us and I dropped my shoulders in relief. “Ansel.”

“It’s good to see you again Alex,” He said and came closer to us. Klaus wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest. “I do not wish to cause your mate harm,” Ansel added on when he noticed Klaus’s actions.

“Ignore him,” I told Ansel. “Your son is on edge today. I thought you were with the packs back home?” 

“I was, but I overheard Victor mention how you and Klaus were looking for a plant to wake up - Elijah I believe he said,” Ansel explained as he walked up to us. “I came looking for you to offer my assistance.” 

“We have no intention of taking Esther’s bargain and no desire to remade a mortal. Now, kindly piss off. I’m in a hurry to help my real family,” Klaus said and pulled me around, as he made us walk away from Ansel. However, I stood in my tracks, and Klaus’s arm eventually let go of me as he kept walking. He stopped when he realized I wasn’t following.

“Do you remember what I told you last night?” I asked him and Klaus stared at me for a while before sighing. With that reassurance, I turned to Ansel, “Do you know where the plant is? Elijah is stuck in an endless nightmare created by Esther.” 

“What you seek is called the Merlock orchid,” Ansel began to explain and came closer to me. “I used to be the one who found the orchid for Esther, so she could put Mikael to sleep. If you allow me to come with you, I can help you get the plant then you can wake Elijah.”

“My mother brought you back from the dead,” Klaus said as he walked up behind me. If I weren’t here, Klaus would have attacked Ansel by now. “My sense of strategy tells me it wasn’t to play a father-son game of hide-and-seek, or for me to introduce you to my girlfriend.” I listened as Klaus stormed off behind me, then sighed while Ansel watched him. 

“You can storm off in a fit of stubbornness if you like...but I suggest you do so toward the west,” Ansel called out calmly, as he pointed in the right direction. I smirked at him before turning around, crossing my arms and looking at my boyfriend. Klaus turned back around and looked between me and his dad. 

“I’m assuming I can’t convince you to walk away and trust that we’ll find it without him,” Klaus stated.

“Yup,” I replied while popping the ‘p.’ Klaus sighed before walking up to us and going west.

“Are you the only person he listens to?” Ansel asked as we began to follow behind his son and I smiled.

“Only when he’s in a good mood,” I corrected before moving to Klaus’s side.


	13. Chapter 12

### Alex’s P.O.V

“A thousand years estranged, and you choose to walk in silence,” Ansel said as Klaus and I walked in front of him. I felt Klaus’s grip on my hand tighten and I rolled my eyes. “Surely you have questions for me.” Klaus stopped walking and sighed.

“Just one,” Klaus replied and I looked at him, hopeful. “Is there a way to cure Elijah without having to listen to the pointless ramblings of an old man?” I sighed and let go of his hand.

“Are you kidding me?” I mumbled. Ansel walked up to his left side and stood beside him. 

“I’m afraid the price of my expertise is a conversation,” Ansel answered and patted his son’s back before walking in front of us to lead the way. I began to follow Ansel as Klaus scoffed. 

“You know, I used to tell myself that my real father must’ve had no idea I existed.” I stopped walking and so did Ansel. Except Ansel moved to walk back to my boyfriend as I stayed where I was. “Otherwise he’d never leave me to suffer under Mikael,” Klaus told him. At least they’re talking. 

“Esther forbade me from seeing you, so I waited...knowing that one day you would trigger your curse and need your real father,” Ansel informed him. He must have remembered something by the silence that was created. “But when that happened, Mikael found me first. I fought him for you,” My breath hitched and I felt Klaus and Ansel gaze at me. I turned to them and looked between them quickly. 

“How do you get to the plant from here?” I asked Ansel quietly. 

“It’s straight ahead,” He said and I nodded before speeding the rest of the way there. 

Once I got there I saw a tree with an orchid plant growing on it. It was surrounded by vervain plants and I knew Esther did this on purpose. She wanted Klaus and Ansel to talk so that his father could appeal to his humanity. Ansel was working with Esther without even knowing it and I felt sorry for him. One wrong thing and he was a dead man no matter what I said to convince Klaus otherwise. 

I don’t know why Ansel’s words affected me though. Maybe it was me still getting acquainted with my emotions or the fact I remembered how my father fought to know me, only for Mother to lie to him. At least Esther didn’t lie to Ansel. Ansel watched from the shadows, so close but so far away. A stranger to his own son up until he died, like Charles and I.

#### *Flashback, November 1864*

They were walking out of the church. The nanny holding William was walking a little behind Erin. Charles was walking by his side and looking down at the ring I gave him before I left. The empty casket meant for me was in front of them as they walked to the cemetery. I placed my hand over my mouth as tears fell down my face. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, hoping they could hear me, even though I knew they couldn’t. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

####  *Present Day*

“Alexandria?” I heard Klaus' voice ask. I looked up at him and across the field of vervain to see Ansel getting the orchids. I turned to my boyfriend and he stood me up, pulling me into his chest. 

“I’m sorry-”

“Shh,” Klaus said while running a hand through my hair. “It’s ok. You’re still getting used to feeling something again.” He led me away from the tree and sat me down on a log. The sun was going down now and it would be dark soon. Klaus kneeled in front of me and brought my hand to his lips before placing a soft kiss on my knuckles. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Ansel mentioned watching over you when he was dead when we first met, and with everything he said it made me think of Charles,” I told him. “That’s how I felt whenever I checked into his life until he disappeared. I was a ghost to him. I watched him walk out of church when they buried an empty casket for me, I watched him go to the market and meet his future wife, then go to the fair with his daughter. I should have been there for all those moments.” My voice got caught in my throat as a single tear ran down my cheek. “But I wasn’t, and I don’t think I can ever make it up to him.” 

I heard Klaus sighed as he rubbed the tear off my cheek, then pulled me into another hug. I buried my head in his neck as we stayed like that, only to be broken up by Ansel’s arrival. He had the plants and some firewood with him. Ansel watched as Klaus moved to sit next to me, as he started the fire up. I slipped my hand into Klaus’s and covered it with my other while holding it in my lap with my head on his shoulder. 

I watched as the fire burst into life when Klaus placed a kiss on my forehead, “Everything will work itself out, my love.” My boyfriend promised and I closed my eyes for a moment as Ansel prepared the flowers into a paste for us to use. 

These nice little moments with Klaus are what I lived for now. Sitting in front of a fire with him while holding his hand. This is how I want to spend the rest of eternity. With Klaus by my side. I scooted closer to him when he took his hand out of mine and wrapped his arm around my waist. The most powerful man in the world and I had him wrapped around my thumb. Who would've thought my life would end up like this? I sometimes wish the world saw the version of Klaus I knew and the version Elijah hoped to save, but if it never did I wouldn’t care. He was mine as I am his. 

Klaus snapped me out of my thoughts, but I didn’t open my eyes as he spoke to Ansel, “I’ve always seen a blade to have a very different use.”

“Mikael taught you to kill Klaus,” Ansel responded. “But you were born to create. That power lies in embracing your true nature.”

“You think I should accept my mother’s offer?” Klaus asked him. “Sacrifice my vampirism. Then what? Not be tied to Alexandria anymore and live life as a mortal?” That comment made me look up at Klaus. 

“Whatever body she puts you both in, the marks that bind your souls together will remain connected. Your mother can’t destroy that, the magic that holds that bond together is too old and strong. The only way to destroy it is to kill you both at the same time.” Ansel explained. Huh, so that’s why she wanted me dead in Mystic Falls. “As wolves, you could be king and queen to an entire species. You'd both feel true peace.” Klaus looked down taking in Ansel’s words. They were of good intentions that Klaus would never act on. “You would be a better father.” 

We both looked at him quickly and Klaus said, “I am no longer a father.” Then stood up and walked behind me as I kept my eyes on Ansel. He couldn’t know. Could he?

“In our animal form, we feel everything more acutely. When you were a boy, after each full moon I would wake closer to your village, having been drawn to you in the night.” Ansel explained and I sat up straighter. “Since I’ve been back, each month when I turn...I wake further from New Orleans. I know the call of my own blood, Klaus.” Klaus turned around to him and I stared at him with a blank face. Please don’t say it. If you do I’ll have to let Klaus do what he must. “I know your children are still alive.” And you said it. Well shit. I actually liked you too. Charles is not going to be happy when he finds out.

Ansel didn’t say anything after that and went back to preparing the plant. I looked at Klaus and I saw the look in his eyes. Ansel was a dead man. If he had kept his mouth shut all of this could have been avoided. I looked away but didn’t argue with him. I wonder if he wanted me to convince him to keep Ansel alive. He had to go, as much as I hate to admit it, we had no choice. Esther could use him to get to our babies and I wouldn’t let that happen, even if I had to snap Ansel’s neck myself. 

Ansel stuck his knife in the ground and walked over to me. He handed me the folded cloth with the paste and said, “This will help Elijah.” He then turned to get his knife and leave.

“Ansel,” Klaus called out and his father turned to him. “I’d be lying if I said your offer wasn’t appealing. The idea of growing old with Alex is a nice one. I’ve never known a parent to be a benevolent force.” Klaus stepped towards him and I stood up to move out of the way. “I think I would’ve liked to have been your son, but a different path was chosen for me and I have, for the past one thousand years, been son of Mikael. Paranoid, vengeful...and powerful enough to protect my son and daughter.”

Ansel grabbed the side of his neck in a loving manner, “I want to help you and Alex defend them.”

“I believe you,” Klaus confessed, grabbing his wrist. “But love is what Esther twists. She will take the best of your intentions and she will use them to get to my children.” He moved Ansel's hand off his neck and held it for a moment. There were tears in his eyes and I wanted to stop him but knew I shouldn’t. This has to be done - no matter what I think or believe - we have to protect Cordelia and Leo first. “You waited too long before you came to rescue me.” With that Klaus let go and walked around his father. I watched as Ansel processed everything in his head. “I won’t make the same mistake with Cordelia or Leo.”

Klaus bent down and picked up the blade Ansel was using earlier. Ansel heard the noise and turned around to his son. They faced each other again, and Klaus walked up to him. “No. No, Klaus.” He knew what was about to happen. “I know you. You are not capable of this.” Ansel said, as his voice cracked.

Klaus paused for a moment before saying, in a very soft tone, “That’s the first lie you’ve told me.” 

Ansel was scared and I turned my head away as Klaus cut across his chest with the blade. When I heard the blade drop I looked back and saw Klaus look at him guiltily. He walked forward and grabbed his father before he fell to the ground and I felt a tear run down my face as I watched him. Ansel hugged him as Klaus held onto his dying body and fell to his knees. He laid down Ansel as the light left his eyes and looked up at me, letting his tears fall. 

I sped to him, placing the paste in my pocket and stood next to him. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his head in my stomach as I ran my fingers through his hair. Klaus truly cried for the first time since we got together. I shushed him and confronted him in the best way possible while falling onto my knees and wrapping my arms around his neck. 

“I had to-” Klaus began and I cut him off.

“I know, baby, I know,” I said to him as I let him cry into my shoulder. I swayed a bit as I looked at Ansel’s dead body next to us. I’m so sorry. 

#### ~Back in the Quarter~

Klaus got back in the driver’s seat of the car. We were parked outside the cemetery and I turned to him. He wanted to leave Ansel’s body where Esther would find it. Now _that idea_ , I did try to convince him not to go through with, but he didn’t listen to me. Klaus sat there for a while and I reached over then grabbed his hand. He looked down at it then locked eyes with me. 

“I didn’t want to,” He whispered. “I wanted to be his son, and come to think of it, I wanted our children to know their real grandfather, but he knew too soon...I had to protect them.”

“I know,” I reassured him. “It’s why I didn’t fight you.”

“Would you have done the same if it was your father? Your real father?” Klaus asked and I looked at him speechless.

“Yes,” I whispered. “I’d do anything for our kids, Klaus.” 

“And what about Charles?” Klaus asked. Now that made me pause.

“I don’t know,” I finally answered. “He’s my son Klaus. It’s one thing to kill your parents because you’re meant to outlive them...but your child,” I paused again, and pulled my hand out of his as I looked at my lap. “I don’t think I could handle losing another.”

Klaus didn’t answer me. He started the car and drove home. Once we arrived I handed him the plant and went to the living room. I sat on the sofa and thought about what Klaus said. Could I do it? End Charles’s life if it meant saving my twins? Could I sacrifice one of my children for the lives of the others? No, I don’t think I could. I worry. If I didn’t, would Klaus? He had no connection to Charles as I did. Charles wasn't his son and all I could do is hope it didn’t come to that option. 

“Elijah’s awake,” Klaus said and I looked at him. I stood up and went to Elijah’s room with Klaus following me.

Walking into the room I stopped and saw Elijah held his head with a hand supporting him as he stood. He was in a full black suit as his nightmares started to hurt him again. Elijah looked up at the mirror and saw me behind him. Klaus was watching from the doorway as I slowly walked up to his brother. Elijah turned to me and as we stood inches from each other I saw something I’d never seen in his eyes before when he looked at me. 

Fear.

What did she do to him to make him so afraid? So shaken. I quickly pulled him into a tight hug and it took him a while to return it like he was scared he’d hurt me. “I know nightmares. I lived in one for twenty-four years, and I know how they can haunt you even if you’re awake. But I also know you. You’re the older brother who protects his family and never thinks anything less.” I whispered to him before pulling away. “If you need to talk I’m here for you, as you are always here for me.”

Elijah was speechless, and it made me wonder if he ever knew he had someone who looked over him as he did everyone else. I knew Klaus did, along with Rebekah and that Kol was starting to, but I don’t think he ever felt it or was ever told. He searched my eyes, looking for any lie in my words, in the promise I was making him, but when he found none he simply said, “Thank you.” 

“How do you feel?” Klaus asked him and Elijah looked up to his brother. 

“The worst has passed,” Elijah said and I knew it was far from the truth but didn’t say anything. He moved around me to his brother. “Though I suspect the nightmares are far from over.” I moved to the chair Klaus had begun to lean against and sat down. 

“Well, gather your strength. After the message I sent Mother tonight, I expect hellfire to rain down upon us imminently.” Klaus told him.

“We need to make a move before she strikes,” Elijah was quick to say.

“Actually,” I turned when I heard Marcel’s voice. “Moves were made while you were sleeping.” He said as we watched him and Kol walked into the room. 

“It’s good to see you standing, brother,” Kol said. “Marcel and I each left a gift for you in the ballroom.” We looked between Marcel and Kol. “You’re welcome.”

Klaus looked at us before moving passed Marcel who whispered, “You’re welcome,” too. I followed Klaus as he stormed down to the bottom of the two spiral staircases. Finn was tied to the railing on the left and Henrik on the right. They were chained with their hands above their heads. 

“Kidnapping. That’s a rather unappealing way to kick off a family reunion.” Henrik said to us. 

“Well wait until you see how we end it,” Klaus told him with a smile.

This should be interesting.


	14. Chapter 13

###  Alex’s P.O.V 

I was in the Bayou with Charles, Aiden, Victor, and Hayley talking through our current problems. My thoughts traveled to the Mikaelson family breakfast currently going down at home. I wonder if they’ve killed anyone yet. “The wolves are freaking out. They know it had to be an insider who took down Vincent last night, seeing as no one could have been anywhere near him,” Aidan expressed to us as he paced back and forth. 

I was sitting on top of the table with my feet on the bench below me. Hayley sat next to me on the bench to the right, with Victor standing next to her and Charles sat behind us. Charles learned of Ansel's death earlier today and had asked me if Klaus had done it. I didn’t answer him and from the look he gave, he knew what my silence meant. The rest of the pack was doing their own thing as we talked.

“Did anyone suspect it was you?” Victor asked and Aiden shook his head.

“No, not yet. But, they're gonna figure it out, which pretty much means I'm screwed unless we come up with a plan.” He explained.

“Call a meeting. The whole pack, tonight. If they're so scared, now's the perfect time to convince them they need to ditch Esther.” I told him. Aiden held up his hand where he wore his moonlight ring.

“She gave them moonlight rings,” Aidan stated and I sighed.

“Well, those rings make you slaves,” Hayley said to him.

“No! They make us powerful. We were exiles before, but now we run the city! The vampires are scared of us, and nobody, including me, is just gonna walk away from that because -” Aiden got cut off.

“Set the damn meeting,” Charles said annoyed with him and walked away. I looked at Aiden then stood up and followed my son to the dock, where he had just opened a can of beer.

“Is this how you planned speeches back in the day?” I asked him as I sat down next to him. 

“You guys are the Alphas, you make the speeches. Don’t play the good cop with me, you’re as guilty as Klaus.” Charles said and I grabbed the beer from him. 

“I know you’re angry and one day I hope you understand why I let him go through with it,” I told him as I stood up and walked over to the table behind us. I placed the beer down and looked at all the journals, as Charles stood up.

“Why  _ did _ you let him go through with it?!” Charles asked me and I froze. “What’s so important that you would let your boyfriend kill his own father?!”

“I can’t-”

“-Say at the moment. Yeah, you don’t say much anymore.” He stated as he stood beside me. I closed my eyes and placed my hand on the table to steady myself. I want to tell you. I want to stop lying. I want your help to protect your siblings...but I can’t do any of that yet. 

“What’s with the journals?” I asked him.

“Ansel told me a lot when we were up north. I wrote down everything he said. The entire history of our people. When I found out he was your boyfriend's father I asked a few more questions about him. They're the last entries.” Charles explained.

“Can I look through them?” I asked. “There may be something in here that could help us.” 

“Don’t bother. Victor and I were up all night looking through this, trying to find something, anything that will help us figure out how to get our people back together. If it exists, it’s not in those,” He told me, then grabbed his beer and walked away. 

I looked up to see him turn the corner, before looking down with a sigh. I hate lying to him. Maybe I could call Klaus and ask. It never hurt to ask, even if I knew the answer. I pulled out my phone and dialed Klaus’s number. I mean Victor and Hayley know, why not Charles? He was their brother after all. 

“ _ Hello _ ,  _ love _ ,” Klaus greeted and I smiled at the sound of his voice. 

“How was breakfast?” I asked him, as I opened up one of the journals. 

“ _ Not how I planned it _ .  _ Elijah lost his temper with Finn because he kept mentioning Rebekah _ ,” Klaus explained.

“Did they find her?” I immediately asked.

“ _ No _ ,” Klaus said and I let go of the breath I was holding. “ _ They’re fine _ .”

“Good. So what’s the next part of your plan?” I asked him.

“ _ Talk to Finn _ ,  _ while Kol talks to Henrik _ ,” Klaus said. 

“And Elijah?” I asked.

“ _ Calming down _ ,” Klaus said. “ _ Whatever our mother did has flipped the world on its axis _ ,  _ since I had to restrain him _ .”

“Sounds like it, but you should talk to Henrik too,” I mentioned.

“ _ He doesn’t want to speak to me _ ,  _ or even look at me _ ,  _ Alexandria _ ,” Klaus said. “ _ He still thinks I’m the monster Esther and Finn have made me out to be _ .”

“And how are you ever going to prove him wrong if you don’t talk to him?” I asked softly.

“ _ How are the wolves _ ?” Klaus asked.

“Klaus,” I stated in a warning voice.

“ _ I’ll talk to him eventually _ ,” Klaus promised. “ _ But how are things going on your end _ ?” 

“We told Aiden to set a meeting. The plan is to give a speech since they’re all freaked out with Finn being taken, and it’s the perfect time to convince them to leave Esther,” I said to him and paused for a moment. 

“ _ Alex _ ,” Klaus said. “ _ What is it _ ?” Throughout the call, I had been skimming the journals and I saw something in one of the entries. It was a unification ceremony, where two Alphas perform a ritual and can share special powers through them. This is it. I found the solution. “ _ Alexandria _ !” 

“I’m sorry Klaus, I have to go,” I said to him. “I’ll call you back later.” Then hung up the phone as I grabbed the journal and walked to where Charles was standing. He was talking to Victor and Hayley. “You wanna explain why you kept this from me?” I asked him and held up the brown leather journal. My son looked at me and sighed. “Why don't I jog your memory?” I started to read an entire from the journal. “The werewolves' power can be traced back to the myth of the Unification Ceremony, a ritual that bestowed certain unique abilities onto every member of the pack.” Charles looked away guilty but remained silent. “Do you believe this?”

“I didn't at first, but Ansel swore he saw it with his own eyes. Then he died, and since he was alive a thousand years ago, he was alive to see it,” Charles explained.

“How did I not know about this?” Hayley asked. 

“You didn't grow up out here,” Charles told her. “I remember my wife telling our children about these stories. Back in the day, werewolf bloodlines were all distinct, right? Some had speed, some had strength, some could sense enemies from miles away. Now, to evolve, we would perform a ritual. A shaman would marry the alphas of each bloodline, and then the special abilities of each would be... inherited, mystically, by everyone who participated in the ritual. See, after a few centuries, everybody had the same abilities, so alpha marriages became political. They became about power, about territory.” I took a moment to silently consider this information.

“But I have a unique ability. Because I'm a hybrid, I can control when I change! So, if this mystical marriage thing works, then - then our people get my power, and they can ditch the rings!” I said happily, but Charles looked torn. “Which means Esther no longer has a hold over them!” He nodded silently. “Charles, this is exactly the answer that we've been looking for! Let's find a shaman, I'll grab Klaus since I have to marry someone, and we’ll say some vows. Hell, we'll make it a party!”

“It ain't just a party, Mom!” Charles exclaimed. “It’s a marriage. If the vows ain't honored, it doesn't work. It's gotta be a real marriage, in every way, for the rest of your life. Are Klaus and you ready for that commitment?” Charles asked me and I looked down. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“What about me?” Victor asked.

“What about you?” Charles asked and it dawned on me. Victor’s a fucking hybrid. I swear I forget that sometimes. 

“I’m a hybrid, meaning if I were to participate in this, they would get the same powers as Alex,” Victor explained.

“And who are you going to marry?” Charles asked and I saw Hayley take Victor’s hand.

“He can marry me,” Hayley stated and I was shocked. 

“What?” Charles and I asked them. 

“Are you sure?” Charles asked her while I walked up to them. “Because if you don't want to, we’ll find another way. Marriage is a big commitment, so be sure before you do anything.”

“How about you to talk to each other?” I advised. “Make sure that you both want this. If you do, great, if not that’s totally reasonable and we will not hold it against you.” They nodded and I let them be as I walked away. 

Someone ran up to me as I was pulling out my phone again. I turned to see Charles. “Where are you going?” He asked.

“To Klaus. I have to tell him what’s going on,” I told him.

“So what he can figure out how to kill them off,” With that snarky comment I sped him the tree.

“You listen to me, Charles Andrew Fell, and you listen to me clearly because I am still your mother,” I sneered. “And I will not have you think of him the way your uncles do. Klaus is not going to kill Hayley or Victor. I won’t let it happen, but his pack-” Charles rolled his eyes and I pushed him farther into the tree. “His family is here in the bayou and this revelation affects them. He has the right to know.”

“He’s no Alpha,” Charles claimed.

“Klaus is the one that saved them last year when they were running for their lives from Marcel. If it wasn’t for him, they would all be dead, Charles. To them, he is their Alpha.” I explained.

“Then where was he?” Charles asked. “Where was he when Jackson tried to take over and they ran?”

“He was mourning the loss of our children!” I exclaimed and that shut up Charles pretty quick. I sighed and backed away from him. “Look I get if you don’t approve of him because you’re not used to the idea of us being together, but don’t say he’s a monster before you know the whole story.”

“And when will I know that, huh?” Charles asked.

“Soon,” I answered. “I promise.” I then sped back to the compound.

####  ~At the Compound~

I stormed into the part of the house where we found Finn and Henrik locked up last night. I only saw Finn there and a table full of sharp objects nearby. Finn looked at me and I walked up to him slowly.

“If you're looking for Klaus, he just left,” Finn said and I sighed.

“Well, I’ll wait then. I’m sure he’ll come back if the tray of torture devices behind me says anything,” I stated. “Actually,” I walked over to the table and grabbed a small dagger before walking back over to him. “Maybe I’ll start without him.” 

“What do you want, Alexandria?” Finn asked and I felt my temper grow a bit at the use of my full name. I began to drag the tip of the blade against his cheek as I held a look of boredom on my face. 

“What did your mother do to Elijah?” I asked him.

“Why do you care?” Finn asked

“He’s my family, and I know he’s not ok even if he won’t admit to me,” I told him. “Now what did she do?”

“Exposed him to the demons he’s been ignoring for a thousand years,” Finn answered and I moved the dagger away. “Satisfied.”

“No,” I said, and put the dagger back on the table. “Because I know how hard it is to fight inner demons that have been with you for your whole life, but despite what you and your bitch of a mother think,” Finn jolted towards me and the chain yanked him back. “I’ll be there to help him.”

“Are we done then?” Finn asked.

“Is Klaus here?” I asked, and his jaw locked in place. “Why lie to Henrik?”

“We didn’t lie. Everything we told him was true,” Finn stated.

“Except you forgot to mention that the guilt of Henrik’s death has haunted Klaus his entire life,” I mentioned.

“A minor detail,” Finn stated.

“Minor detail my ass,” I sneered. 

“Alexandria!” Klaus exclaimed as he walked into the room. “That’s no way to treat our guest.”

“Oh, he's a guest now! I thought he was just a pest you had yet to kill,” I told him. 

“Now, sweetheart,” Klaus placed his hand on my lower back. “Be nice.” He warned me.

“Depends if he stops using my full name,” I told him and gave him a quick kiss. “We need to talk.”

“In a moment,” Klaus said. “But you're more than welcome to stay and listen to whatever he’s about to tell me.” We then looked to Finn, as Klaus addressed him. “So brother, ready to embrace your new life of freedom?” Klaus asked while pulling out a key.

“I’m already free, brother,” Finn answered and Klaus’s joyful face dropped as he put the key back in his pocket.

“You’re aware our mother cares nothing for you?” Klaus asked. 

“Niklaus, I assure you, my mother loves me,” Klaus smirked as he dropped his hand from my back and walked closer to him. “She loves all of her children. You would not exist without her sacrifice.” Klaus then looked at me before wrapping an arm around my shoulder and leading us out of the room. “Do you even know the truth?!” Finn yelled right before we walked out, which stopped us. “That she was barren? And she grew so desperate for a family that she begged one of the most powerful witches for help. Her sister, Dahlia.” I looked at Klaus and he met my eye as we listened to him. 

“Of course, Dahlia’s price was high. She agreed to make our mother fertile, but in exchange, she sought the firstborn as a sacrifice.” We turned around to Finn. “Having no other choice...our mother gave away our beloved Freya,” Finn explained. 

“Our sister died of plague,” Klaus told him and went to leave again. 

“Esther gave her away,” Finn sneered. “Think about that.” Klaus turned around to him and began to stalk up to him as I watched from afar. “The pain...the grief.”

“If what you say is true...then death is far too delicate a fate for her,” Klaus whispered. 

“She loves us more than you realize,” Finn said.

“And is love the reason she wanted our children dead?” Klaus asked him.

“She was trying to protect you from Dahlia’s curse,” Finn said softly. 

“What curse?!” Klaus shouted.

“Dahlia demanded the firstborn of every generation,” Finn confessed. “Had your children lived, they would have paid the price. And if anyone had tried to protect them...Dahlia would come and destroy us all.” 


	15. Chapter 14

### Alex’s P.O.V

Klaus sped me to our bedroom and I sat down as Klaus paced back and forth in front of me. My brain was having a hard time processing the information Finn gave us. “Do you think it’s true?” I asked Klaus.

He stopped and turned to me. “I don’t know,” Klaus answered and I bowed my head. He came up to me and kneeled down then tilted my chin up, so I’d look at him. “If it is, we’ll protect them.”

“Finn said to the firstborn, Klaus. That means Cordelia, not Leo.” I told him. “I won’t let my son grow up without his sister.” 

“Neither will I,” Klaus stated and I felt my phone buzz. It was a text from Hayley about the meeting. 

“Shit,” I whispered. “I have to go. The meeting’s starting.” I got up and made my way to the door. 

“You came back here for a reason,” Klaus said and I turned to him. “Why?”

“I found out about a unification ceremony,” I told him. “It marries Alphas that can bestow unique abilities to their packs, like our abilities as Hybrids. Victor and Hayley have been together for a while now, and since Victor’s a hybrid, it would give both our packs the ability to control their shift without the rings.” 

“Meaning my mother no longer has a hold on them,” Klaus expanded and I nodded. 

“But it’s a genuine marriage, if they choose to not go through with it...we have to find another way,” I answered. I saw an idea pop into Klaus’s mind, but I didn’t have the time to ask. I kissed him on the cheek and said, “I’ll be at the church, ok? I love you.” Then sped out of the compound.

#### ~At the Church~

“I know you’re all angry and scared,” Hayley said as I walked in. I made sure to be as quiet as possible, while I leaned against the doorframe at the back of the church. Victor was next to her with Charles. “But we are a pack no matter what.” 

One of the wolves stood up and walked into the middle aisle, “You’ve been checked out for months. Why should we listen to you?” He asked her and Aiden stood up then looked at him. 

“Because she’s the alpha,” Aiden stated. “You got a problem with that?” 

“I'm quite curious about what Hayley has to say,” I spoke up, and every head turned to me, but I didn’t move from my spot.

“This is a _pack_ meeting,” The unknown wolf said to me. “You're not one of us,” I smirked as I walked up to him and got right up in his face. 

“Do you want me to take off my shirt and show you my birthmark, or are you just going to take my word for it?” I challenged him. “Not to mention it was me who helped free you of the curse Marcel placed on everyone in this room. I’m as much a member as you, so get off of your high horse and kindly sit back down.” 

“Then, what about him?!” The wolf pointed to Victor and I came around to stand in front of him again. “He’s not a crescent.”

“But he has been protecting you with Hayley,” I answered. The guy opened his mouth but I raised a hand to stop him. “And before you say he's not a wolf,” I held out my hand to the side. My nails started to grow out like claws, then started to transform into a wolf paw, and my eyes glowed gold. After a moment, I shifted back, and my arm and face went back to human form. “Let me reassure you all hybrids are in fact werewolves too. Except we don’t need those tacky rings to control when we shift.” I turned around and sat down on the stairs leading to the altar. “If you want the same? Then, sit down, shut up, and listen.” 

Hayley smiled at me as she continued her speech, “You all need help and you know it. Now, whatever you think of Alex, what she says is true. She was born a crescent, and Victor has defended us and helped us in any way he could.” She took a breath. “Since I’m the last of the Labonair line, that makes me an Alpha. Victor used to be an Alpha before he transitioned into a hybrid. Now I know many of you bought the story you grew up on, the Unification myth. Well, it’s all true.” There were mummers among the pack as Hayley looked at Victor for a moment.

“Which means,” She continued. “If Victor and I get married, anyone with the guts to turn up to the ceremony has as much control over their wolf form as he does.” More mummers occurred and I smiled at my great-great-granddaughter. “This isn’t just about uniting our pack. It’s about forming a new community.” Victor moved to stand closer to her. “This ceremony will change everything for us. It’ll give us the strength we need to defend ourselves. Then and only then will we finally have peace.”

I stood up and looked at them. “The choice is yours,” I moved to the end of the aisle as I looked at everyone. “Keep the ring and be another one of Esther Mikaelson slaves, or be part of the greatest pack that ever lived,” I told them. 

There were more mummers as I placed my hands behind my back, waiting for their response. Aiden stood and walked up to me. “I’m in,” He stated and dropped the ring while looking at Hayley and Victor. 

~

I walked out of the church after the werewolves left, to give Hayley and Victor some time alone. Charles was by my side as I walked back to the compound. “Now where the hell do we find a shaman?” I asked out loud and he laughed. 

“I can do it,” Charles said and I was surprised. “I’m technically a pack elder, which will count as a shaman.” 

“Ok, then,” I said as we walked closer to the compound. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He nodded before going to the Bayou as I walked into the compound. As I entered, Klaus and Kol were rushing out. “Hey-”

“You can tell us about the meeting on the way,” Klaus said as he led me to the garage. “Get in,” He commanded while gesturing to his car. Kol had already gotten into the back seat when I looked at Klaus 

“Where are we going?” I asked him and he stopped opening the driver's door to look at me. 

“To see our children,” Klaus answered and I stared at him speechlessly, before we got in and left. 


	16. Chapter 15

###  Alex’s P.O.V

I felt myself being shaken awake and I turned to see it was Klaus. I sat up and looked around for where we were meeting Rebekah. “Are we there?” I asked and Klaus shook his head.

“Not yet, we have about ten more minutes before we get there,” Klaus said. I looked in the back to see that Kol was fast asleep on the back seats. I turned back and watched the winding road until I spotted the house. I sat up in my seat as if I planned to jump out of the front window while grabbing onto Klaus’s arm. 

Before I fell asleep, I told Klaus and Kol about everything discussed in the meeting, and for a brief moment, I saw some sadness wash over Klaus’s face. I wonder why though? The pack was getting reunited. Klaus also told me how Elijah was already with Rebekah since Esther did in fact find them. I’m still a little pissed off about that. 

All those thoughts were thrown out the window the second I saw Elijah and Rebekah standing in front of the house. The second Klaus parked the car I jumped out, the door slamming behind me and waking up Kol in the process, before speeding up to them. I stood a few feet away as I stared at my twins in their arms. 

Rebekah was holding Leo while Elijah held Cordelia. I stood a few feet away from them, and once the initial shock wore off, I began to slowly move towards them. I placed my hand over my mouth as I looked at them. I couldn’t believe it. They were here. Right in front of me. Elijah turned Cordelia to me, so I could take her from him. Her mouth opened up as if she was smiling at me. I took her into my arms and held her close to my chest, as the tears fell down my cheeks. 

Rebekah then handed Leo to me once I put Cordelia on my hip. I kissed the top of his head as I listened to their heartbeats, and felt their chests move as they breathed. My angels, in my arms where they were always meant to be. Turning around, I saw Klaus staring at us in shock. He was at least a couple of feet away. I saw Cordelia turn her head to him and cooed at the sight of her dad, which made me chuckle. I walked up to him and he looked at them with tears in his eyes. Cordelia lifted her arms towards her dad and he took her from me. 

“I think your daughter missed you,” I whispered to him and he smiled at her. 

Klaus kissed the top of her head while looking at Leo, who moved his little head to look back at his uncles and aunt. I turned around, adjusting Leo on my hip a bit while I looked back at the three originals behind me. It’s only then that I noticed the pile of wooden sticks in the yard. 

“What’s that?” I asked them. Rebekah walked up to me and smiled. 

“A bonfire,” Rebekah answered, as she rubbed Leo’s arm affectionately. “Normally we do it around Christmas time, but since we couldn’t all be together last year, I thought we’d do it now.” I nodded, happy with the answer, and I looked to Klaus as Rebekah went back to building her fire. 

Kol walked up to us and smiled down at our children. Klaus and Kol looked at each other, before he turned Cordelia around to him, for Kol to hold. “Are you sure?” Kol asked. He knew his older brother hadn’t seen his daughter and son in months and didn’t want to cross any boundaries. 

“Well, you are her uncle,” Klaus said and Kol nodded before taking her into his arms. Klaus then turned to take Leo and I gave him over to his father. I watched as Leo grabbed onto Klaus' nose and laughed, which caused me to laugh too. I kissed Klaus' cheek before walking over to Rebekah. 

I pulled her into a hug, which she returned with a smile. “Thank you for protecting them,” I said to her. 

“Always,” She answered and pulled away. 

Kol made his way over to me and handed me my daughter, and I took her without a second thought. I looked over to see Leo and Klaus still standing in the same spot. I walked back over to him and he smiled at me. 

“It almost seems like a dream,” Klaus mentioned and I nodded.   
“Yeah,” I agreed. “But it’s not. We’re really here with them, and I don’t plan on ever letting go of them again.” 

“You won’t have to,” Klaus stated and wrapped his free arm around my waist, before planting a kiss on my head. 

~

Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus continue to build the bonfire. Kol was holding Leo as I held my daughter. Klaus was catching Rebekah and Elijah up to speed on the information Finn told us yesterday. All it did was make me hold on tighter to my daughter. 

“Curse on the first-born? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?” Rebekah asked.

“Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of the plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson firstborns for eternity.” Klaus said.

“Are we sure we should even believe any of this?” Kol asked them as he adjusted his nephew in his hold and looked at his niece. Looks like he's taking the role of an uncle well. 

“It is if we’re to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth - our mother,” Elijah answered while rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. 

“Well, no wonder Finn hates us. He lost his sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull.” Rebekah stated. 

“Wonderful, is there any chance of us running into your crazy aunt Dahlia any time soon?” I asked sarcastically.

“The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead,” Elijah said. So was Esther, Elijah, and she came back...twice.

“Like that has stopped anyone else in your family before?” I responded and Elijah watched as Cordelia reached over to grab my locket. I lightly moved her hand away and she grabbed onto my finger instead, as Klaus walked over and placed his hand on her back. 

“No one's going to hurt Cordelia, because no one's going to find her or Leo,” Klaus paused for a beat and looked at Rebekah. “That's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas.” Klaus said to her. She rubbed her hands together excitedly as she looked at her siblings.

“Well, we're just missing a key ingredient!” Rebekah said and I was confused, yet happy. This is going to be good. 

“No, we're not,” Klaus sighed and moved to take Leo from Kol.

“Yes, we are, Nik! Back me up, guys!” Rebekah exclaimed and Elijah laughed as Klaus moved Leo onto his hip. 

“I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes,” Elijah said to us and I was just confused.

“What are you talking about?” I asked them.

“Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck!” Rebekah explained. 

“It was my favorite part when I was a kid,” Kol mentioned. 

“Further evidence as to why we should ignore it!” Klaus exclaimed, not happy that Kol was only making the situation worse. Klaus stood by my side again and I looked between him and our children. 

“The first Mikaelson tradition I’ve heard of that doesn’t involve blood or chaos, and the twins' first bonfire. I like it!” I stated, which only caused Klaus to give me a dirty look. “We're doing it!” Then Leo cooed happily and I laughed. “See, darling, even your son agrees.” 

~

Kol left me the job of getting Klaus’s wish while he got Rebekah and Elijah’s. This really was his favorite part of the bonfire. I walked outside to see Klaus sitting on the floor with Leo and Cordelia. They had a few toys with them and Klaus was just mainly watching them interact with each other. I sat down next to him and handed him the little pile of sticky notes. 

“I’m watching over our children, and you want me to write down a wish,” Klaus said and I jabbed his side with my elbow. 

“They’ll be fine for the few seconds you write,” I answered. Leo began to cry a bit and I reached out, “Hey,” I said softly and he took my finger, then tried to bite it. I laughed and looked at Klaus as he took the pen and paper from my hand. “I think he’s teething,” I looked over to our daughter, who was biting the toy in her hand. “Her too.”

Klaus smiled at his children for a moment before he began to write, “I wish that Hayley and Victor hadn’t gone through with the marriage.” He was speaking as he wrote and I looked at him confused. “So that we could instead.” 

Klaus then ripped off the note and handed it to me. I stared at him for a moment, trying to comprehend what he just confessed. Did he do what I think he did? “Did you just propose to me?” I asked him. 

Klaus dropped his hand down into his lap, “Yes,” He answered. Klaus then took my right hand, which was resting on my knee and held it in his hand. “Alexandria Elizabeth Salvatore, will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife?” I felt tears in my eyes and quickly pulled him into a kiss. He pulled me closer to him the best he could as happy tears fell down my face. 

“Yes,” I whispered and he smiled before kissing me again. We were interrupted by our daughter, however, who just noticed I was there and crawled into my lap. I laughed as Klaus wiped away one of my tears. “Hello, princess,” I said to her as she turned herself around and got comfortable. I leaned into Klaus as he placed his hand around my hips as we watched the twins interact with each other.

####  *Flashback 1864*

I was sitting in the backyard, and leaning against the big tree as I rocked William next to me in his portable cradle. I told the nanny to go home earlier, wanting to spend some time with our sons. Charles was talking to William, who wore a constant smile on his face as his brother talked about his day. I heard footsteps coming up beside us and turned to see Erin standing there.

“The maid told me I could find you out here,” Erin said and I smiled, before patting the spot next to me. He looked reluctant but eventually sat down. Charles turned his head to see his dad was back home and ran over to him. 

“Your back!” He exclaimed and gave his dad a hug. Most fathers would pull their son and tell them that this was not the way a gentleman behaved, but Erin was different. He returned his eldest son’s hug as William cooed at the sight of him. 

“Hello, Charles. Have you had a pleasant day?” Erin asked his son and Charles nodded. “I’m glad to hear it.” Charles smiled at the approval he gave him, then went back to his brother’s side. My husband and I watched our son talk to his brother. “I was told the nanny left earlier.”

“I didn’t see a point in her staying when I could do what she would have,” I answered.

“I thought you had work to do,” He asked me.

“I did and I finished,” I answered. “And to be completely honest with you, I don’t like the idea of the nanny spending more time with my sons than I.” 

Erin looked at me and smiled softly, “You are definitely one of a kind, Alexandria.”

####  *Present Day*

Leo’s happy cries as he played with his toy, snapped me out of my trance as I looked at my son. “What's running through your head?” Klaus whispered in my ear.

“Memories of Charles and William,” I told him. I then looked down at Cordelia and smiled sadly, as I lightly ran my fingers through her little tuft of hair. “We should tell Charles soon. He knows I’m hiding something and I feel horrible for lying to him. Especially about this.”

“My love, I know you want to tell him, but the risk is too great,” Klaus said. “Esther can still use him to get to them.” 

“I know, but he’s their brother, Klaus,” I said and he kissed the side of my head. 

“When Esther is dealt with and Finn isn’t as big as a threat, then we can tell him,” Klaus promised. 

“I want to do it before I bring them home,” I commented. 

“You will,” Klaus said. “When we eventually have to leave, it will only be a matter of days before we come back to get them.” Leo crawled up to his father and used his dad’s knee to push himself up onto his knees. He then reached out a hand towards Klaus, which caused him to pick up his son and put him in his lap. “Not even I can stay away from them that long now that I have them in my arms again.” 

I smiled at them and kissed Klaus’ cheek. “You know there’s a part of me that thinks they’ll be a real handful when they become teenagers,” I commented. 

“Please, the last thing I want to think about is my daughter at the age where she can date,” Klaus groaned as he took Cordelia’s little hand in his. 

“It’ll happen one day Klaus, and I think both of our siblings are never going to let you forget it when it does,” I laughed and Klaus rolled his eyes before looking down at his children.

“I guess all I can say is if either of them has their hearts broken, then the person responsible will find their time in this world shorter than they planned,” Klaus explained while smiling at our children, while I rolled my eyes and leaned more into him. Soaking up this moment before it ended.


	17. Chapter 16

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Cordelia was inside with Kol, Klaus, and Rebekah as I walked out onto the porch with Leo in my arms. I saw Elijah collecting the firewood he went to retrieve. He dropped the handles of the bags with his eyes close and his hands flexed out. “Hey,” I called out and he looked at me. 

It was the same flash of fear running through his gaze, like when he saw me after Esther’s spell broke. It didn’t change either when he quickly glanced at Leo. Elijah quickly turned, grabbed the bag of firewood, and held it by his side. “I’ll be inside shortly,” Elijah told me, with his signature smile, and moved to walk around me when I stopped him.

“Are you ok?” I asked.

“Yes. Why would you ask such a thing?” Elijah questioned.

“Because you kind of wigged out a few moments ago,” I told him. “And when you looked at Leo you seemed scared. What’s going on?”

Elijah thought for a moment then kissed my temple, in a brotherly manner, before dramatically sighing and walking back inside. I looked at Leo who was playing with my locket and moved it out of his grasp before he placed it into his mouth, then propped him up a little higher on my hip. The action made him laugh and grab the sides of my face. 

“So, my little lion,” I said to him. “What do you think about your Uncle Lijah?” Leo gurgled and looked over my shoulder to the front door. “Yeah, I don’t think he’s ok either. The problem is I don’t know how to help him, and he won’t talk to me. What do you think we should do?” Leo made a happy cry, then wrapped his little arms around me and I smiled. “Give him a hug. Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

I turned and walked back inside, Elijah had finished placing the firewood in the living room. I walked over and spoke up, “So, I talked to your nephew.” Elijah looked at us as he stood up, brushing the ash off his hand. “And he said he wanted to give you a hug.” Elijah looked unamused and that dash of fear came back into his eyes. “He’s your nephew, and if you want me to drop whatever I’m thinking about your mental state for the night, then you better hold him.” 

Elijah looked at me annoyed, hesitated for a moment, and moved to take my son from my arms. “Hi,” Elijah whispered to him and held him to his chest. Leo immediately began to play with his tie and I smiled at them.

“See,” I said as Elijah grinned every time he looked at Leo. “He likes you.” Elijah looked up at me, seeming relieved. I knew my son wouldn’t reject him, and he knew that too, but it was one of those things better left unsaid. 

Kol walked in and I turned to him. He was holding Cordelia, who was teething on a wooden carving of a knight on a horse. “I see Elijah has chosen his favorite child, which is good because I plan to be her favorite uncle,” Kol stated. I crossed my arms over his chest, as Elijah raised his eyebrows at his younger brother's antics. 

“You really think it’s that easy?” I asked him.

“Well, do you see any other contenders?” Kol asked, with a small smirk.

“No, but I can think of two that are currently in Virginia,” I answered.

“Like those buffoons stand a chance against me,” Kol laughed.

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same people?” I sighed and Elijah chuckled. I moved to take my daughter from Kol’s arms before walking out of the room. 

~

Elijah was still holding onto Leo as I stood near the bonfire with Klaus. Kol was sitting with them on the porch. “How’s he doing?” Klaus asked.

“Not good,” I answered and Cordelia looked up at me as I spoke. “He looked at Leo like he would hurt them, then when he does actually hold him, he seems fine.” 

“Whatever Esther made him see must have made Elijah think he’d hurt them,” Klaus concluded. I’ll try to talk to Elijah about it later. I turned towards the house when Rebekah came rushing out to join us. 

“Hey! Look what I found!” She held up a Polaroid camera, and the boys groaned while I laughed. I  _ live _ for moments like this! “I wonder if it'll work?” She asked out loud.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Klaus groaned as Cordelia giggled.

“Come on, let's try it! Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?” Rebekah asked him as she walked up to us. Klaus looked between his sister and the camera.

“Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces,” Elijah said as he and Kol walked over.

“Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face!” Klaus said as he held the camera in his hand. Elijah was on the other side of me with Leo, as Kol and Rebekah stood behind us. 

“Oh, come on, just take the picture!” Rebekah exclaimed and Klaus sighed. 

He held up the camera to take a picture of the seven of us together. Everyone was smiling, the twins included, except for Klaus, who remained blank-faced and annoyed while his hand rested on my back. Klaus clicked the button and we all watched as the photo developed. 

“Aw, see? I wish that it could always be like this,” Rebekah said and looked down at her niece in my arms. I nodded slightly wishing the same thing. 

“If wishes were horses…” Kol began. 

“...Beggars would ride.” Klaus said, finishing Kol’s sentence. We all looked happily at the photograph, but Klaus sighed before turning to me. “We have to burn it.” He then turned his gaze to his sister. “You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does.” Klaus handed the photo to me. “We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands.” 

I hesitated before taking it and handed Cordelia to him. Once he had her, I walked over to the fire and stared at it for a long time. I looked over to Klaus and the rest of the family before looking at the photo again. Then I reluctantly threw it into the flames and wrapped my arms around my stomach while watching the photo burn. 

“No!” I looked over at Rebekah. “This isn't right. We deserve this. We've earned this.” Rebekah stated. I walked back over to them and Klaus wrapped his free arm around me. “I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther.” I saw Kol and Elijah tensed up.

“Rebekah, no -” Elijah got cut off.

“I'm going to take her deal. And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me.” Rebekah said and I stared at her.  _ What? _

~

I was sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch, giving a hungry Cordelia her bottle. Leo was inside taking a nap as Klaus and his siblings worked out a way to take Esther down...or talk Rebekah out of her crazy plan. When my daughter finished her bottle, she stared up at me as I held her in my arms. “You’re so big since the last time I saw you,” I told her. “I can’t wait to tell your uncles about you and your brother.” Cordelia squealed and I laughed. “Yes, you have more uncles. They’re going to love you both so much.” 

The front door opened ten minutes later and I saw Klaus walking out with Leo in his arms. He sat in the chair next to me while Leo tried to play with his hair. “So what’s the plan?” I asked him.

“In short: Rebekah takes our mother’s deal, while Henrik and I double-cross our mother so the spell never gets completed and we kill her,” Klaus answered. 

“You do realize that absolutely everything can go wrong with that plan, right?” 

“Yes, but I won’t let it,” He answered. 

“Famous last words,” I tisked as my daughter grabbed my finger, and my attention. “I wish I could bring them home with us.”

“We’ll bring them home soon,” Klaus replied. “Are you going to be ok staying with Elijah?”

“Yeah, I want to talk to him anyway,” I said. 

“Be careful,” Klaus advised.

“It’s Elijah, Klaus. Even if he believes he will hurt me, he won’t,” I informed him.

“I know you believe the best in my brother, my love, just like you do in me...and you  _ should _ talk to him about his problems and help work through them, but watch your back. Elijah can be as dangerous as I am,” Klaus warned me. My mind returned to the moment when Elijah almost killed Klaus just a few years ago, and can’t believe I had forgotten about that moment. Maybe it was because I wanted Klaus dead at the time, but Klaus was right. Elijah is as dangerous as him. 

“So you want me to listen to him at arm's length?” I pondered. “If I do that Elijah will know we don’t trust him, and in order for him to get through this...He still needs to know we trust him.”

“Alex, I trust you to keep yourself and our children safe. All I’m asking is that you call me if things get too rough,” Klaus reassured me. 

####  ~Later that Night~

The twins were up for a few hours after Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah left, but I finally got them back down to sleep. I know I said I would drop the whole Elijah mental state conversation earlier, but I couldn’t. I was worried about him. Yes, Klaus is right to keep him at arms distance but Elijah also can’t bottle up whatever he’s feeling. It’s not healthy. I found Elijah sitting by the fireplace in the living room, and I stopped in the doorway.

“They’re asleep,” I said. “It's so quiet with your siblings gone.”

“Yes, it would seem that way,” Elijah answered.

“Elijah.” The original turned to me. “You know you can trust me right?” I asked him.

“I do trust you, Alex. Why would you think otherwise?” Elijah pondered.

“Because of this afternoon,” I answered. Elijah bowed his head and I sighed. “Look, you don’t have to talk about it. Believe me, I know the fear you feel when your demons come out to scare you. Just know that when you’re ready to talk, you can always come to me.” Elijah didn’t look up at me nor did he say anything. “Ok, well...I’m going to be in my room if you need me.” 

I turned to walk away when he spoke up, “You were there.” I stopped in my tracks. “In my mother’s fabrication...You were there.” I began to turn around to him, not knowing where this was going. “It began with my mother tormenting me, telling me everything she was about to do to me. Then you came and took her out. You set me free, saying that Klaus and Kol were outside holding off Finn and Esther’s puppets. Everything seemed so real.” I made my way over to the seat across from Elijah. “I was so weak from Esther’s wounds I couldn’t stand. You forced me to feed on you and pulled away when I had enough. But the hunger-'' Elijah had yet to meet my eye again, but I knew that tone. It was the tone Stefan held whenever he had regained his emotions after a Ripper binge. “It consumed me and I-I…”

“And you killed me,” I finished. Elijah didn’t contradict me, meaning I was right. “You think you’re going to hurt us.” I watched as Elijah stood up and walked over to the window in silent confirmation. I stood up too and walked over to his side. He didn’t say anything as he stared out the window. 

“Niklaus would never forgive me if anything happened to you or those kids,” Elijah said.

“And nothing  _ will _ happen to them. Elijah if something did happen wouldn’t be by your hand. You love those children. Klaus and I know you do, and that’s why your brother trusts you here to help protect them,” I explained.

“But Mother - she -” I waited patiently as Elijah tried to find the right words. He only dropped his head. “Tatia...it wasn’t Mother who killed her.” I raked through my head to remember who Tatia was, but I was drawing a blank. She couldn't have been mentioned frequently. “I did. I killed the first woman I ever loved.” 

“Wow,” I breathed out. There was nothing else I could say.

“Her death broke both of our hearts. Niklaus will never forgive me,” He claimed.

“You’re wrong,” I replied and Elijah looked at me. “Yes, the wound might be deep and it might hurt him to hear the truth, but he’s moved on. It’s been a thousand years...” I paused for a moment trying to find the right words but ending up giving out a little laugh. “I mean when Klaus brought her up two years ago, he brought it up to taunt my brothers...not because he was hung up on her. Your brother loves you, Elijah, and he’s more worried about you than he’d care to admit. He’ll forgive you.” Elijah bowed his head again unconvinced. 

“There has been so much hate and betrayal between the two of you...between all of you really. I can’t even begin to comprehend it. The thing is you are all here now and you all still love each other fiercely,” I continued. “Even if there were still a thousand years of hate present, do you think any of you would be here now? No. What I think is that you all have forgiven each other for most things - if everything - but none of you seem to be able to say it out loud.”

“I might be wrong though, because lord knows how unpredictable that man can be,” I joked and Elijah let a tiny laugh fall past his lips. “However I think Klaus may surprise you this time.” I touched his shoulder affectionately and gave it a little squeeze. In all honesty, I was tired and wanted to crash in a bed upstairs. “If you want to talk some more I’ll be upstairs. Feel free to wake me up if the nightmares become too much,” I told him, before leaving him alone to think. 


	18. Chapter 17

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~Two Nights Later~

I shot up at the sound of the twins crying. Throwing the covers off of me I sped into their nursery. They seemed to be ok, just cranky for being woken up at three am. Cordelia seemed to calm down a bit with my presence in the room, but Leo was screaming his head off. I went to pick him up to comfort him when I heard screaming. I sped to the source of the noise and saw it was coming from Elijah's room.

Opening up the door, I was met with the sight of Elijah thrashing around on his bed. I slowly made my way towards him as he mumbled in his sleep. His whole body seemed to have a layer of sweat covering it as he grabbed onto the sheets beneath him. When Elijah screamed, I immediately jumped back, before quickly making my way to his side.

I gently shook his shoulder as I said, “Elijah.” He didn’t wake up and I shook him harder and yelled, “Elijah!” The original’s eyes shot open and I was pinned to the wall by my throat before I knew what was happening. Elijah’s brown eyes were completely taken over by a blood-red sea, with dark purple and blue veins dancing under his eyes. “Elijah?” I coughed out and he only squeezed harder, raising me a bit so my feet barely touched the floor. I grabbed his wrist and began to pull it away. “Elijah. It’s me...It’s Alex.” 

Saying my name must have snapped him out of it because I watched red be replaced with brown as he cocked his head in confusion. When he looked down at his hand on my neck, he was stunned in shock and fear of himself. I dropped to the floor moments later and began to cough frantically while rubbing my throat. I could already feel the bruise healing. Looking up, I watched Elijah stumble backward until the back of his legs hit the bed. His eyes were welding with tears of horror as he looked between me and his hands.

“I-I-I’m sorry,” He stuttered. “I’m so sorry.”

“Elijah, it’s-” 

“Don’t-!” Elijah stopped in the middle of his exclamation when he locked eyes with me. He seemed to be dialing down his anger. “I-I hurt you...so d-don’t say it’s fine,” He finished, with a calm but shaky voice. 

I pushed myself to my feet and sat next to him on the bed when Elijah dropped his head. His hands began to shake frantically and I placed mine on top of his, then gave them a small squeeze. I wish I knew the right words to bring him comfort, but I didn’t. Sure I’ve had nightmares before, and daydreams that caused panic attacks, but nothing on this scale. Nonetheless, I promised him I’d be here when he needed me, and he needs me right now. I moved one of my arms and placed Elijah's head on my shoulder. My heart broke when I felt his tears seep through my shirt. 

“I know you don’t want to hear it,” I began softly while rubbing circles on his wrists with the hand he was holding onto. “But I’m ok and this-” I gave his wrist a little squeeze. “Is all normal considering what you’ve been through. You might think you have to hide it all away, tuck it behind a door in your mind, but that doesn’t always work. Some demons are stronger than others, which is why we rely on our family and friends to help us defeat them when we can’t do it on our own.” 

Elijah pulled away slightly and looked up at me. I gave him a smile and wiped the tears from his eyes. His gaze was fixed on my neck, and he brushed his thumb over the bruise. “I-”

“-will heal,” I cut him off and pulled his hands away. 

Elijah turned his head when the twins' cries grew louder and he looked even more guilty. “I woke them up,” He mumbled.

“They’ll go back to sleep once I calm them down,” I told him. 

“Yeah,” Elijah muttered and I looked at him in concern as he looked down at the floor again. We sat there for a few more moments. I was scared to leave him alone. 

I slipped my hand onto his shoulder. “Are you going to be ok while I check on the twins? Or do you want to join me?” I asked him. 

“I don’t think I should...given the current condition of my mind,” He replied. I opened my mouth, but he looked at me and cut me off quickly. “Go check on them, Alex. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Elijah answered. I stared at him as he moved his gaze to the floor for the third time tonight. I slowly stood up and made my way out of his room, before giving him one more glance and going back to the twins. 

Once I was in their nursery I moved to Leo immediately. Picking him up, I moved to grab a blanket and his sister’s favorite monkey plushie. I then grabbed Cordelia and walked back to my room. Somehow I managed to lay the blanket down on the bed and throw the little monkey on the bed too, with two babies in my arms. 

Once that was done, I sat down with both of them and rocked them back and forth. “It’s ok, we’re all ok,” I whispered to them over and over again. 

Cordelia calmed down sooner than her brother and moved to get out of my arms when she spotted her monkey nearby. Like earlier, it seemed that being in my presence told her she was safe. I smiled as she teethed on her monkey while laying on her back. Leo had calmed down a few seconds after his sister did, but didn’t want to let go of me. I kissed the top of his head as I reached over for my phone. The phone rang as I held it between my shoulder and my ear, while I walked over to close my bedroom door. I stood for a while waiting for the call to connect.

“ _ Alexandria _ ?” Klaus’s groggy voice asked. “ _ It’s four in the morning _ , _ love _ ? _ Why are you calling _ ?” 

“Because Elijah's mental state is worse than we thought,” I stated. “He was screaming in his sleep tonight, and when he wasn’t screaming he was thrashing around, covered in sweat while mumbling to himself.” 

“ _ Is he ok _ ?” Klaus asked.

“A little shaken.” I heard pots and pans clashing in the distance. “And cooking so he doesn’t have to sleep,” I added on. 

“ _ Are the twins ok _ ?” Klaus asked.

“Yeah, they're fine. Cordelia’s on my bed teething on her monkey and Leo’s in my arms slowly falling back to sleep,” I explained. “What do we do, Klaus?”

“ _ Maybe I should bring Cami up there when I come to get you _ ?” Klaus pondered. “ _ She does have more knowledge about these sorts of things, and is more fit to help him than you or I _ .” 

“Ok,” I agreed. “But bring Daniel, too. While I trust Cami to help Elijah, I don’t trust her alone with our kids. I know she’s a friend of yours...but I barely know her.”

“ _ Ok _ ,” Klaus agreed. “ _ I’ll see you later today then _ .”

“I love you.”

“ _ I love you too _ ,” Klaus repeated before hanging up. 

I sighed as I looked at my son, to see he was sleeping calmly on my shoulder and looked at my daughter to see her staring at me. I gave her a smile as I moved back over to her and picked her up again. Cordelia held onto her monkey-like a lifeline as I walked them back to their room. I put Leo down first and thankfully he didn’t wake up. Then I put Cordelia down and she fell asleep the second her head hit the bed. 

I smiled at my little angels before yawning and walking to the kitchen softly. I watched as Elijah moved around the kitchen cooking different things. The sound of a cooking video was coming from his phone and I smirked a bit. He seemed to be calmer when busy, but I knew it was just him trying to distract himself. I turned around and walked back to my room. When I got there I folded up the baby blanket and placed it on a chair nearby before going back to bed. 

####  ~Later in the Morning~

[I](https://www.lulus.com/products/upside-rust-red-pants/702922.html) was sitting in the dining room, feeding the kids breakfast while I kept a close eye on Elijah. He was making us waffles and shot small, guilty smiles my way whenever we made eye contact. Klaus was on his way with Cami, Daniel, and one of Marcel’s vampires. Daniel had texted me this morning asking if it was ok to bring Erica with him, as extra protection. Apparently he had earned the green light from Klaus, which is remarkable considering how I’m the only one who’s met her out of the two of us. 

Elijah placed a plate of waffles in front of me. “Thank you,” I said and he gave me a small nod. I watched as he walked back to the stove with a sad expression. The kids were fed and burped by this point, so I walked over to the other side of the island counter. “Elijah-”

He looked up at me and I had planned to continue before the front door opened. Elijah turned as Klaus led Cami to the dining area where the twins were sitting in their high chairs. I looked over to her with a smile as she looked between the twins and me in shock. 

“Oh my god!” Cami exclaimed. Daniel and Erica stood behind them as Cami took a step closer to them, but she stopped and looked at me again. “But - You said - I thought they were -?”

“The only way to truly protect them was to convince the world of their death,” Klaus explained and Cami turned back to him. “I hope you and Erica understand, once you leave here, this secret cannot leave with you.” 

“Of course,” Erica replied and Cami nodded in an understanding way. The therapist then moved closer to my children and interacted with them as I watched her carefully. She lightly rubbed Leo's arm and he cooed at her. “Oh! They're perfect!” 

I smiled before looking at Daniel and Erica. “Hello again,” Erica said. 

“Hello,” I responded. “Apologies if I was rude the last time we met.”

“It’s fine. Daniel filled me in on the way here,” Erica explained. 

“Good,” I said then turned to Daniel. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” Daniel nodded and we walked into a different room. “I know you trust her and all, and that Klaus gave you permission-”

“I won’t leave her alone with the twins, Alex,” Daniel reassured me. 

“Don’t leave Cami alone with them either,” I added on.

“I thought-”

“That I trusted Cami,” I stated, then let out a small laugh. “Klaus might, but I don’t. Not with the kids at least.”

“You sure that’s not jealousy talking?” Daniel asked.

“Jealousy?” Daniel raised his eyebrows. “I’m not jealous of Cami, Daniel. Klaus wouldn’t do that to me, not after everything,” I explained. 

“You think I don’t know that?” Daniel scoffed. “I was just making sure you did.” I chuckled before Daniel got a text. 

“Is that Victor?” I asked him.

“No just Josh,” Daniel replied.

“Josh?”

“Yeah - we’re kind of dating,” Daniel said. 

“You two are dating? Since when?” I asked him excitedly.

“We got together a few weeks ago,” He answered. “But you had your emotions off and things kept happening, so I never found the time to tell you.”

I was about to say something when a knock came from behind me. I turned to see Klaus standing there. “We should really be going,” Klaus said and I nodded. 

“Yeah, I’ll just go say goodbye to Elijah real quick,” I said and walked back into the kitchen. 

Elijah stood there watching Erica and Cami with the twins, and turned to me when I walked up to him. “Klaus and I are heading out now,” I told him. Elijah nodded and I watched him for a moment before hugging him. “You’re not going to hurt them. I trust you the most out of everybody in this room. Call me if you need to talk, ok?” I whispered. Elijah didn’t answer me and I pulled away. I gave him one last smile before walking out of the kitchen.

####  ~In New Orleans~

Hayley, Victor, and Charles were currently upstairs talking about the details of the ceremony, while I sat downstairs in the courtyard waiting for the rest of the werewolves to show up along with Marcel and his men. I had called Marcel and Victor on the way back to New Orleans. Happily, they both agreed to talk about peace, because that was the only way this marriage was going to happen without a hitch. 

Klaus also filled me in on Rebekah’s condition and how Esther had managed to move her to a different body to someone named Angelica or Angelina. Rebekah was going to call Elijah once she cut ties with Angelica’s former life, then contact us. Klaus mentioned, very casually might I add, that he locked Esther into her new body by tricking her into drinking Rebekah’s vampire blood so she would turn once he killed her. I do love it when karma comes back to bite someone in the ass. 

The wolves walked in and I smiled at them. “Didn’t know you’d be here,” Jerick said and I stood up.

“Well, considering how I arranged the meeting it would be rude if I wasn’t,” I replied. “Hayley! Victor! They’re here!” 

“You disappear for three days and then arrange this meeting? Why?” Jerick asked.

“Because I want the stupidly-bitter rivalry to be over with,” I answered. 

Victor, Hayley, and Charles came down to the courtyard as Marcel walked in with his crew. Marcel looked up at me and I nodded to him in return. Victor, Hayley, and Charles watched the two groups approach each other with an intense look. Marcel stopped in front of Jerick and held his arm out so his vampires would stop walking. 

I looked between both groups with a smile, “Shall we get started?”


	19. Chapter 18

###  Klaus’s P.O.V

I walked into the guest room and saw Kol with Henrik. My youngest brother turned to me and the look of discomfort on his face broke my heart. Alexandria keeps encouraging me to talk to him, but apparently he only wants to talk to Kol. I don’t know what it is about Kol that brings Henrik comfort? Maybe it’s the fact that Kol’s wild personality hasn’t changed in a thousand years. 

“Brother!” Kol exclaimed. “I thought you’d be downstairs with your girl while the negotiation of the century unfolded.”

“Alexandria can handle the wolves herself, and Marcel seems to still be one of her allies,” I replied and looked to my baby brother. “I just came to check on Henrik and make sure he was settling into his new home comfortably.” 

“I’m doing fine, thanks. You can go now,” Henrik brushed me off and Kol looked between us. 

I walked into the room a bit more, and Henrik turned around to me. “I don’t know what our Mother and brother told you, Henrik, but I’m not the monster they made me out to be,” I carefully said to him.

“Why? Because you’ve found your one true love and she’s slowly turning you into a better man,” Henrik said sarcastically. “I know I’ve sided with you against Mother and Finn, but don’t think that means I trust you.” 

I looked down quickly as I thought of the right words to say, without crossing a line and dissolving any chance to earn his trust again. “Then I hope one day I can prove to you that I’m worthy of your trust,” I carefully replied. Henrik didn’t seem offended by the statement, he only looked me up and down before continuing to look around the room. I made eye contact with Kol and he shrugged. 

A vase suddenly flew across the room and shattered against the wall, as all three of us turned to see Finn storming into the room. How the bloody hell did he get in without anyone downstairs noticing? “Where is she?” Finn demanded. Kol was quick to get on his feet as Henrik stood on the other side of him. 

“Finn. Please, join us,” I greeted him. “My, my you look peaky. Doesn’t he look peaky, Kol?” 

“He does look peaky,” Kol agreed. 

“You feeling alright?” I asked Finn, mockingly. 

“Don’t make me ask again,” Finn warned us. 

“I assume you’re referring to our mother,” I said. “Fear not, she’s tucked away somewhere perfectly safe. You’ll never find her.”

“You think you’ve won,” Finn stated. “Let’s see how long that arrogance lasts, brother.” Finn looked to Henrik, which made my little brother look worried, as Finn walked out of the room.

* * *

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Both groups were gathered at either end of the table in the courtyard. This was Hayley’s pack, and while Charles and I would help her lead from behind the scenes - along with Klaus when it came to his own pack - we decided she should lead the meeting. Hayley and Victor needed to get used to being their leader and not relying on me all the time. Thinking about it though...they’ve done more than I have in the long run. 

“You wolves are here because you want freedom. And, I promise you, if you stay, you will be free.” Hayley looked back at Marcel and the vampires, who seemed interested. “But, we need as much help as we can get,” She said.

“My vamps and I are willing to stand with you against the witches. In return, all I want is a promise that there will be peace…” Jerick scoffed. “Between our sides after the wedding,” Marcel offered.

“You're the one who spent the last one hundred years killing and cursing us,” Jerick responded.

“Which means you might wanna listen to what I have to say,” Marcel continued.

“I see you're brokering a truce.” I straightened up when Finn walked through the group of wolves. How the fuck did you get in here without any of us seeing?! “Between mongrels and parasites,” Finn said as he stood in front of all of us. “And just how long do you think that's really going to last? A month? A week? A day? What you don't yet seem to understand is that the only thing that can exist between your two degenerate species is hatred, war, and death.” 

As he talked, Finn slowly backed away until he was technically outside of the compound. Then, he rubbed his fingers together and blew on them. Shit! I sped up to stop him as he slammed his hand against the doorway of the entrance, the entire building shook, causing me to lose my balance and startled everyone else as the spell took hold. I stood in front of Finn in fury and he smiled at all the alarmed looks. I moved to grab him, but when I slammed into a barrier the sun burnt my hands, as though I wasn’t wearing my locket, and I backed away. Victor sped over to me to see if I was ok, as I looked back at Finn. 

“But, I imagine - given a little time confined together...you'll come to see things the way I do,” Finn finished saying, with a small smirk, before disappearing into the streets of New Orleans. 

* * *

###  Klaus’s P.O.V

I placed my hand against the boundary spell and my skin hissed as it sizzled in the sunlight. Henrik walked in while asking, “Did he really just trap us all in here?” 

“He certainly did,” I answered. “And I’m hoping you can help solve this little conundrum seeing how you're the only witch in our family.”

“How the hell do you expect me to do that?” Henrik asked and I walked up to him slowly.

“Henrik, you are currently trapped in a house full of vampires who will get hungry eventually,” I pointed out.

“So you're threatening me now?” He asked.

“Believe me if I want to threaten you, you’d know,” I told him. He crossed his arms over his chest and I sighed. “Look despite whatever you may think of me, I don’t want to lose you again. So please find a way to undo this spell for your own safety.” 

Henrik watched me before agreeing. “Ok, but I’m going to need Kol’s help. He knows more about magic than I do, despite the fact he can’t do it anymore.” 

“I won’t stand in your way,” I said and he nodded before leaving to find Kol. 

~

I found Alexandria sitting in the living room drinking some bourbon with her son Charles. She smiled at me and I moved to sit next to her while her eldest watched me closely. He’s her son and I’m doing my best to give him the benefit of the doubt for Alexandria’s sake, but something isn’t sitting right with me. Sadly I can’t prove it given the fact that he hasn’t done anything, but going against my mother by helping break the pack free of her and Finn’s grip. 

Charles turned to look out the window as my fiancé spoke up, “So, is there any hope of getting out of here quicker than Finn wants us to?” 

“Henrik and Kol are working on it,” I told her.

“I’m sure Davina is also going to help if those two are involved,” Alexandria said. “She seems to trust your younger brothers, and Kol is no doubt trying to be a mentor to them.” I hummed in agreement. She wasn’t wrong. 

It was a while before Charles said anything to us. “How are my uncles, Mother?” He asked as he turned around and sat in the chair across from us. “I know you talked to Damon recently.”

“They’re fine,” Alexandria answered. “I mean the whole town’s going to shit again and I’m not completely sure if Elena remembers her love for your uncle Damon now...but apart from that they’re still alive.”

“And who’s Elena?” Charles asked.

“No one your mother likes,” I laughed.

“And why don’t you like her, Mother?” Charles asked. “Doesn’t she make Damon happy?” 

“Yes, but the reason I don’t like her is that she’s a more annoying version of Katherine,” Alexandria explained before finishing her glass. “I’ve come to tolerate her the same way your uncles tolerate Klaus. Damon will most likely marry her one day and I’ve made my peace with that. We can only hope Stefan will find someone worthy of his heart...maybe Caroline would be a good choice for him. She did always have a thing for my little brother.” 

“Wait.” Charles placed his glass down before looking between us. “My uncles don’t approve of him,” He said and pointed to me. 

“No they do...in their own way,” Alexandria reassured him which I knew to be a total lie. Her first statement was correct. They tolerate me because I’m the father of her kids and I make her happy, but not because they approve of me. “It just took them a while to get there, and while there may be a few bitter ends in their past with each other, they are...civil...for lack of a better word.”

Charles studied the tone in which Alexandria spoke and it made me realize he inherited her mind. He knew there was more to that statement and sat back in his seat as he found the right words in order to phrase his inevitable question. “What do you mean by ‘bitter ends’?” Charles asked and, in all fairness, I thought he’d come up with something ruder. 

“It's a really,  _ really _ long story,” Alexandria replied, and I heard a sharpness to her voice which warned him not to push the topic. She didn’t want to tell him the history between her brothers and me as if she knew he would react badly. 

“Well, we have a bit of time while Henrik - I think you said his name was - and Kol undoes the spell,” Charles replied. 

Mother and son held eye contact for a while, and I could feel the annoyance radiating off of my beloved. Charles only held an innocent gaze in his eyes, as if he was unaware of his mother’s true feelings, which I knew he was. Alexandria broke the gaze, then glanced at me before looking back at her son. She sighed as she sat up straighter on the couch. I could tell she was looking for a reason to make me, and/or my family, not seem like the bad guy. 

My love then opened her mouth and began to tell our tale up until the present day. In the beginning, they told the truth of our times and feelings for each other in the ‘20s. She made sure to explain why I compelled her to forget me each time I ran into her. Then I started to notice what she left out of her story, yet she recalled it so smoothly had I not lived it myself, I wouldn’t know what facts were missing. Alexandria left out how I kept an eye on her even if I didn’t meet her in person, how I brought her to Alaric’s apartment before the curse was broken, not giving my blood to Damon  _ until  _ Stefan had gone back into his ripper mode, telling Stefan to burn down half the highschool, locking her in the plantation house in her first months of pregnancy, and then finished the tale with how I helped her turn her emotions back on after the twins “died.”

However, she didn’t bother to hide her true feelings about how her brothers cared more for Elena than their own sister, how Mother, Finn, and Mikael tried to kill her, and her hatred for Rosalita. Alexandria also didn’t leave out certain things like me killing Elena and Rebekah torturing Damon, because she probably figured if Charles ever asked his uncles about my family and me one day...those events would come up. 

Charles looked between the two of us for a while, taking in all the information before nodding slightly. He was silent as Alexandria watched him carefully, before he asked, “So where were you, Mother, for the past three days?” I noticed a new sharpness in his tone.

We both fell silent and Alexandria looked at me for a moment before standing up. “I’m going to go check on how far they’ve gotten with the spell,” She informed us, before leaving. 

I watched her walk out of the room and I knew it was because it killed her to lie to him about his younger siblings. I looked back at Charles before standing up myself and walking to the drink cart behind him. I poured myself some whiskey while I thought to myself. I don’t understand why Ansel mentored him, or why he even thought this fool was worthy of his time? Sure he may have inherited Alexandria’s observation skills, but this man wasn’t fit to be a leader. Yet if he wasn’t a leader then why did he want the pack to have powers? Maybe to have his own army. 

I turned around to see Charles was facing me. “I know she’s not telling me everything,” He stated and I raised my eyebrows. “However what I don’t understand is how she can be your soulmate?”

“I understand your mother’s demons like she understands mine. I also make her happy and treat her like the queen that she is,” I explained to him rather vaguely. “Isn’t that all that matters?” 

“I’ve heard the stories about you, Klaus. When I heard my mother was dating you, I looked into your past more, to see if she would be safe in your care. All I found was a blood trail that went on for miles,” Charles stated.

“You act as if your mother and uncles don’t have the same trail,” I confidently stated.

“Oh, I know they do, but yours is longer,” He informed me. “However I think the tale my mother told me is leaving out certain pieces so I don’t hate you, or...what did she say? “Tolerate you”...the same way my uncles do.” I felt my jaw clench as I stared at him. Now I see why Alexandria was hesitant to tell him. She didn’t want to go through this fight again. “Yet you're both keeping something important from me, along with Victor and Hayley. I see it in all of your eyes and in the way my mother left the room.” Charles stepped closer to me. “And until I know the full truth, I will never trust you with my mother’s heart. No matter how much you claim to love her.” 

With that Charles made his way out of the room and I didn’t realize how hard I was squeezing my glass until it shattered in my hand. 


	20. Chapter 19

###  Klaus’s P.O.V

I was walking downstairs while on the phone with Elijah. “What do you mean she’s gone?” I asked him in a sharp voice that was just shy of shouting. There were ears all around the compound and I couldn’t be sure that no one was listening in.

“ _ I just received a call from Angelica Barker who is still very much herself, _ ” Elijah explained. Only two people could have tampered with that spell: Kol and Henrik.

“Stay where you are. I’ll handle it,” I told him. Henrik came around the corner and stopped when he saw me in the hallway. “Have you found a solution to the little quandary of ours?” I asked him.

“Well, we might have, but I don’t think you’re going to like it,” Henrik replied.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” I responded.

“Kol says we need certain things from the lycée. Which means we need it clear of Finn in order to get them,” Henrik explained. “There’s only one thing I can think of that would distract him for long enough.” 

“And what’s that?” I asked.

“If you tell him where to find Mother,” He answered. 

I thought about it for a while and said, “Ok. I should have known this wasn’t going to be easy, but in return, I need you to answer one quick question.”

“What’s that then?”

“You said you placed Rebekah inside the body of Angelica Barker, right?” I asked. 

“Yes, and I did,” He replied, with a slightly confused expression. 

“Really? I just got a call from Elijah saying that our sister wasn’t in the body you claim to put her in,” I told him. Henrik seemed surprised but quickly hid it which told me everything I needed to know. This was Kol’s doing. He likely lied to Henrik on which body he was actually placing Rebekah in.

“Well, something must have gone wrong.” It’s cute how he’s trying to protect his older brother from my wrath. “I can ask Kol, see if he knows,” Henrik suggested.

“No need, I’ll do it myself.”

* * *

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Klaus sent me a text telling me that Finn had increased the vampire's hunger. He seemed to not want to start a panic and neither did I. I forwarded the text to Victor and he gave me a look before keeping a closer eye on the wolves, while I noticed Gia was keeping an eye on the vamps. It was only a matter of time before the hunger took over or a fight broke out over something small. I stayed closer to Charles and Hayley before I saw Kol walking into the dining room. Victor looked at me and gave me a nod before I followed Kol.

“So do you guys have a plan or what?” I asked them, and Marcel, Klaus, and Kol looked at me. “Because we are mere seconds away from a blood bath.”

“Finn’s boundary is too strong,” Kol told us. “The only thing that could possibly work is if Henrik and Davina cast a disruption spell. It would temporarily neutralize all magical objects in this compound, including the compound itself. If it works.” Thank god Victor and I are hybrids then. “Then it will give you guys sixty seconds to escape whilst the boundary is shut down.”

“All right, that sounds good to me,” Marcel agreed, desperate to get his vamps out of here.

“Marcel, if the spell works it will suppress all magical objects in the vicinity. Which means your rings,” I explained.

“If we go out without our rings, we’re dead,” Marcel said.

“Unless you wait till nightfall,” Klaus suggested and Marcel looked back at the vamps outside with a groan. 

“They’re all so new. They’re not gonna be able to fight the hunger,” Marcel stated. “We can’t wait until nightfall. We’re gonna have a massacre on our hands before we even get close.” 

“Then we do the spell,” I said. “And once the wolves are safe, we find a way to free you guys.”

“Agreed,” Marcel said before walking out.

~

I watched as Henrik and Davina set up the spell the way Kol instructed. He was a good mentor for them, but I couldn’t help but worry. I walked up to Kol and pulled him aside. “Your ring will be affected too,” I told him.

“Not if I stay right here in the shade,” Kol replied. “But don’t worry, darling. I won’t try to leave till your wolves are out.”

“Why?” I asked him.

“It might come as a shock to you, Alex, but I do see you as my sister and you’ve never done any harm to me,” Kol said, then lowered his voice. “Plus I know what’s at stake for you and my brother if we don’t keep the peace between these groups.” 

“Thank you,” I whispered and he nodded before going back to work with the young witches. Kol was going to make a good babysitter. I moved back over near Charles and Hayley. I didn’t want them getting hurt and I wouldn’t lose my son again to some newbie vamps. 

Of course, right when we’re almost free...a fight breaks out. Jerick, the idiot, decided to pick a fight with a nearby vampire. “What are you looking at?” Jerick asked and shoved the vampire, who lunged towards him. Josh, who was at the bar, looked back at them in concern. Gia, too, has noticed the fight and rushed over to intervene. 

“You want a piece of me?” The vampire asked and I walked closer. Jerick picked up a nearby chair and smashed it into pieces. He and another werewolf quickly picked up two wooden legs to use as stakes. When Jerick swiped it at one of them, Aiden raised to his feet to break it up. 

“HEY!” Aidan shouted and grabbed his shoulder to pull him away. 

Jerick spun around and swiped at Aiden, which cut a long, bloody gash into his forearm. The smell of his blood stirred up the vampires even more, and they all hungrily started to circle around him. The first vampire jumped on Aiden and pushed him on his back, while the second vampire held him down. Before either of them could feed on him, I rushed over and snapped one of the vampire's necks to save Aiden before pulling the other away, who was then grabbed by Victor while Marcel pulled the other werewolf away. 

Aiden looked over at me gratefully as I held out my hand and helped him up. I bit my wrist and fed him my blood. His wound healed as quickly as it was made before Klaus came down the stairs. Victor and Marcel were struggling to keep the werewolves and vampires from attacking each other again. 

“Kol! Get them to start the spell now please!” I shouted and Kol quickly turned to the witches. 

I watched as Henrik and Davina set up the last bit of the spell. Then I ushered Aiden away so he could wipe off the dry blood from his arms while shooting Klaus a worried look. Victor incapacitated the other vampire who tried to attack Aiden and Marcel struggled to keep Jerick from attacking the others without getting bit. Hayley took the stake out of the wolf's hand before Marcel let go and got the vampires safely in the shade. 

Klaus and I stood side by side as Davina and Henrik began to chant. It was quick before the sand blew in towards the house. Davina reached out and Henrik shouted, “Davina!” Happily, she didn’t get hurt when touching Henrik’s hand. Then I watched as Davina smiled up at Kol and I saw this small sparkle in her eye, which the original return. A moment later, Kol turned to us quickly and gave a nod, while shoving Henrik towards Davina so he was out of the compound first. 

“Okay, guys. Hayley, Charles, Victor. MOVE IT!” I commanded. 

“Go, go,” Hayley ordered and everyone ran out. 

“Remember sixty seconds,” Kol shouted from the shadows. 

I only moved to leave once we knew all the wolves were out of the compound safely and were being led back to the Bayou by Charles and Victor. Kol was standing with Davina and Henrik now, safe and sound. I turned back to Klaus, who was still standing in the compound, and he sped up to Kol before grabbing his shoulder. I saw the look on his face and recognized it instantly. Fuck! 

“Slight change of plans brother,” Klaus said and threw Kol back into the middle of the compound. 

“No!” Henrik and I shouted, but Klaus was quick to make sure we stayed on the right side of the spell. 

“I no longer have to treat you like anything but the treacherous liar you truly are,” Klaus explained to him. Kol quickly sped back into the shadows towards the spell but was stopped by the boundary spell already back up and running. 

“What the hell, Nik?!” Kol demanded. 

“Where is she?” Klaus asked as he let go of Henrik and me. “I know you lied about Rebekah making it to her new body and considering how you’re you, I’m not shocked you lied about it to your new apprentices either. It’s not exactly an uncrackable case.”

“Rebekah’s fine, brother. It was only a prank,” Kol explained. “Nothing more than what you lot have done to me, but it’s different when it’s one of you.”

“Well, then consider this your punishment for double-crossing our sister, and returning to your selfish petty jealousies,” Klaus claimed, then sped Henrik and me away from the compound. 

~

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT!” I screamed at Klaus while shoving him off of me. Henrik was standing behind me with his arms crossed. “Kol was helping us!”

“You know he deserved it for what he’s done to Rebekah!” Klaus yelled. 

“And you couldn’t ask all those questions outside of the boundary spell?!” I shouted. I turned around in anger to see that Henrik had left as soon as Klaus let go of him, and I couldn’t blame him.

“He needs to be-”

“If you say “taught a lesson,” I will slap you so hard your head will fall off,” I warned while turning to him quickly. “Find a way to get Kol out of there.  _ Immediately _ .”

“You are not the boss of me,” Klaus growled. 

“And you had no right to punish Kol the way you did. Those “petty jealousies” only stem from the fact that you treat him like this!” I explained. “Not to mention if you had him here, he could have led you to Rebekah. Now you have to do it by yourself since Elijah isn’t here to help you.”

“You can help me,” Klaus reasoned, to prove that he had thought through his plan.

“No, I can’t, because  _ I _ have to go help Charles with the ceremony that will free my pack from the lunatic witches of your beloved city,” I explained very dramatically, I’ll admit. “You’re on your own with finding your sister because  _ you _ didn’t think this through properly.” With that, I sped off towards the Bayou.


	21. Chapter 20

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Aiden and [I](https://za.pinterest.com/pin/ARZOBo_lCwe1pWf_PgbdZ0TVvOUxKbsKk0C3ZqIzRyN1bubJU7QRJTM/) met in the Bayou, where he dropped the last of all the moonlight rings into the bowl I had brought with me. The silver bands had a hole for a stone, but it was empty since the stones were all destroyed. “Well, that’s the last of them. Everyone out here is officially ring-free,” Aidan said.

“And better off,” I added.

“Easy for you to say. You're a hybrid. I'm back to turning every single full moon. And, if the wolves who are loyal to Finn come back here, they're gonna rip right through us. So, I gotta ask, when is this wedding?” Aiden asked.

“In ten days according to Charles. After that, Victor's power is your power and the full moon won't control you anymore,” I told him. “However I need you to spread the word to any wolf who wants the same that they need to be here to bear witness to the wedding.” 

“Ok, I can do that. What are you gonna do?” Aidan asked me. 

“I’m going to go meet up with the happy couple and help Charles set up everything we need for this to work,” I told him. 

“Well, good luck with that,” Aidan said and I nodded as he left. I grabbed the bowl and walked over to the lake where I dumped the rings in, before going to meet up with the bride and groom to be.

~

I got out of the car and saw the little shack Charles had taken up as a home. I walked up and knocked on the door to which Victor answered. “Hey Alex,” He said and Charles came next to him. 

“Come in, Mother,” Charles said and I smiled. 

I walked into the little shack which was cozy and warm inside. Charles moved back to setting up some herbs on the dining room table with me following him. “So,” I said. “While I have gone through a marriage ceremony before, I have a feeling this might be a bit different.”

Charles laughed, “Yeah just a bit.” 

“Great timing though,” Hayley stated as she emerged from the kitchen with four mugs. “Charles was about to tell us what we need to do.”

“Right, so according to Ansel’s journals and Mary, who’s a friend of mine, they need to do some premarital rituals first,” Charles informed us.

“Which are what?” I asked.

“Fasting, purification, the rite of divulgement, to name a few,” Charles listed.

“The rite of what?” Victor asked him.

“It’s simple from what Mary told me. Hayley speaks the truth, then you, Victor, speak the truth...secrets are cleansed and everyone’s happy. You both smoke the root of the blue calamus flower in order for this to work. The root will link your hearts and minds together because apparently the ceremony won’t work if there are any lies separating you two, and this way there are none,” Charles explained and looked at the three of us. “It’s the most important ritual apart from the wedding ceremony itself.” Then Charles began to frantically pat himself down, looking for something. “Um...I left something outside, I’ll be right back.” 

Once he was out of the cabin Victor and Hayley turned to me quickly. “Will this cancel out Klaus's compulsion?” Hayley asked, worried, and I stared at them for a moment.

“No,” I answered. “Only Klaus can remove that. You guys are fine, not to mention it’s not a secret standing between you, since you both technically know it.” 

“And if it does, hypothetically…” Victor brought up carefully.

“If it does, I’ll defend you both against Klaus. However I’d be more worried about other secrets coming out,” I told them. “Although I’m sure once word gets to him on this little ritual he’ll think the same thing, and he better have gotten Kol out of that compound by that point...Then maybe we can talk about telling Charles about them.”

“Wait! Kol’s still in the compound?” Hayley asked. “I thought he was one of the first ones out?” 

“Yeah, well that was before Klaus deemed him worthy of punishment since he made Henrik and Davina put Rebekah in a different body that wasn’t Angelica Barker’s,” I groaned into my mug and took a sip of the coffee Hayley had made me. Charles walked back in and stopped when he saw the way we were all positioned. 

“Did I miss something?” He asked. I turned to him with a smile and shook my head. 

“Nothing other than the latest update concerning the Mikaelson siblings,” I told him.

“Well, I don’t care about that,” Charles mumbled while moving to his original spot. I felt Victor flickering his gaze between us before he looked at Hayley. 

“Hayley, can you come outside with me for a moment?” Victor asked and she nodded. Once they were outside, I walked up to Charles and he glanced at me quickly.

“What?”

“Look at me,” I said to him. Charles turned to me and I saw it. The same look Stefan and Damon held when I first got together with Klaus. “Damnit.”

“What?” He asked again, more confused as I moved to the other side of the table. 

“Why can no one in my family just accept that I love Klaus and he makes me happy,” I muttered to myself.

“Maybe it’s because both of you are lying to me,” Charles replied and I turned to him quickly.

“So if I tell you the truth you’ll give Klaus the benefit of the doubt?” I asked him and he nodded. “What do you want to know?” 

“What’s the big secret?! What are you and that original family of vampires hiding from me? Why did Klaus kill Ansel?” He insisted. All his questions had the same answer and it killed me that I couldn’t tell him. “I know you two have a past and that you both have your own blood trail, but how can you love a man who has hurt your brothers more than once?”

“He makes me happy, Charles. Can’t you see that?” I asked him.

“Father made you happy once too, but instead of finding another man like him, you’re...you’re settling for some monster,” Charles explained. The way he phrased his words was as if Erin and I had gotten a divorce because I fell in love with Klaus. I sat down at the table across from him while he continued to talk to me. “Why can’t you see you’ve fallen for the villain of your story, Mother?”

“You think I don’t know that,” I snapped at him and he visibly looked startled by my tone. “Just like you, your uncles never let me forget it. They do that even now in their own little ways. They’ll bring up that question every time they’re angry with me. It’s not like I can tell you guys, “oh, Klaus compelled me to love him for the rest of eternity,” like some damsel. No, the hardcore truth you’re going to have to live with, Charles, is that I love Klaus. That fact will never change until the day I die.”

I looked back at my son and he had his head bowed down. I looked away, annoyed that I had to scold him into understanding my feelings for my fiancé. Getting up from my seat I walked to the front door of the cabin, but paused and turned back to my eldest child. 

“I did love your father, Charles, in a way,” I told him and he looked over to me. “And I think in a way he loved me, but if the reason you can’t understand my feelings is because of him...then know he would be happy for me right now.”

“What?” Charles asked.

“Erin was a wonderful husband and I will always love him because he gave me you and your brother. However, we were both forced into marrying each other for our father’s benefit, and at most, we treated each other as roommates. We never kissed each other unless we were in public, and when we found out we were getting married, we were both in love with other people,” I explained. “But he would be happy knowing that I found some that I have chosen to spend the rest of my life with. A man that loves, trusts, and protects me above all others. He’d be happy to know that I’m happy.” 

Charles seemed shocked by my information, which told me Erin had never explained our situation to him. I wonder if that means he let his sons marry out of love and not for profit. I turned around and walked out of the cabin for some fresh air, and to let my son think over what I said to him. Before I knew it I was in the middle of nowhere, and I sat against a nearby tree, underneath the moonlight. 

I pulled out my phone and dialed the first number I could think of. “ _ Alex _ ?” Stefan asked. “ _ What’s up? _ ”

“Have you ever had to lie to someone you love, in order to protect someone else?” I asked him

“ _ Yeah _ , _ why _ ?” Stefan said softly. 

“How did you do it?” I asked him. “Because I’m really struggling to do it right now and it’s breaking my heart to lie to him.”

“ _ Who are you lying too _ ?  _ Klaus, Elijah- _ ” 

“Charles.” I cut him off and Stefan was silent. “I want to tell him but if I do I fear what will happen to the person I’m trying to protect.”

“ _ Do you trust Charles _ ,  _ Alex _ ?” Stefan asked.

“Of course I do-”

“ _ Then you have to trust that he wouldn’t do anything that will put your mystery person in harm's way _ ,” Stefan explained and I sighed. Klaus will kill him if I spill anything. That was the part I couldn’t explain to Stefan without him questioning everything. 

“He hates Klaus…” I mumbled, changing the subject. “I basically had to scold Charles so he’d understand that I simply love Klaus and there was nothing he could do about it.”

“ _ I think I remember that conversation, once upon a time _ ...” Stefan said.

“Shut up,” I snorted and I heard him chuckle on the other end. 

“ _ But you also have to understand how hard this is for him _ . _ It’s not like if we ever saw Mom again and she said she despised Father then had a new boyfriend _ .  _ We’d be glad that she moved on because he was a horrible husband and a worse parent _ ,” Stefan explained. “ _ You and Erin gave him what we never had, which was a safe loving family _ . _ He probably grew up believing you and Erin were truly in love and married out of love _ .  _ Then suddenly he comes back from the dead, finds out you’ve been alive this whole time, and on top of that you’re dating the Original hybrid who is notorious for showing no emotions _ .” 

“Yeah, well, everything you just said is true. I had to be the bad guy and tell him the truth,” I told him. “I only did it because I knew if Erin were here right now he’d be happy for me.”

“ _ He would _ ,” Stefan agreed. “ _ You got lucky with him, and  _ \-  _ although I’d hate to say it  _ \-  _ you got lucky with Klaus too _ .”

“Wow, both you and Damon have now confessed that you approve of Klaus and I being together. This would have been so much easier if you did this a few years ago,” I told him.

“ _ Maybe _ ,” Stefan contemplated. “ _ Just don’t think this means I’ll be happy whenever I see him in person _ .”

“Oh, believe me, I know, but at least the three of you will be civil now. And hey, who knows, maybe we’ll all be able to get together and have a semi-normal Christmas,” I joked, although I hope it’s true one day.

“ _ Alex we’ve never had a normal Christmas when it was just the three of us _ ,” Stefan pointed out.

“Yeah, fair point,” I agreed and sighed. 

“ _ Hey _ ,  _ I gotta go _ .  _ Talk to you later _ ,  _ ok _ ?”

“Ok,” I said. “Bye Stefan, and thanks for the advice.”

“ _ Anytime _ .”


	22. Chapter 21

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~In the Afternoon~

I sat on the bank of the lake as I chucked rocks into it. At first, I was skipping them along the top, but as I stood there, the skipping became angrier. Now I was just sitting here trapped with my thoughts. Charles deserved to know about the twins, that much was true. However he didn’t trust Klaus, and it most likely Klaus didn’t trust him. That truth made me chuck another stone into the water before me. Why can’t my life be simple?

“Hey,” I glance over my shoulder to see Hayley standing behind me. 

“Hey,” I answered as she moved to stand next to me. 

“What happened between you and Charles last night?” She asked me. “He doesn’t seem like himself.”

“I had to tell him the truth about the relationship between his father and me,” I explained. “Then I scolded him because he started to talk about Klaus the same way my brothers did at the beginning of our relationship.”

“Oh,” Hayley said. “Do you think you got through to him?”

“I doubt it,” I stated. “While many will say he inherited my mind, he also, unfortunately, inherited the Salvatore trait for stubbornness as well.” 

“Did he ask-”

“Of course,” I stated. “I didn’t tell him anything and it kills me that I can’t tell him. Hell, it kills me that I can’t have them in my arms right now!”

“I couldn’t agree with you more, my love,” I turned around at the sound of Klaus’s voice behind us. Hayley looked between us before standing up. 

“I’ll leave you two alone then,” She said and squeezed my shoulder in a comforting way, before leaving. I stood up and turned to him while crossing my arms. 

“Kol is safe and sound with Davina if you’re still angry about that,” Klaus informed me. 

“Good, but I know why you’re here, Klaus. It’s because of the truth serum plant isn’t it?” I asked rhetorically. “It shouldn’t affect them since they aren’t lying to each other about it, meaning it’s not a secret. The only person it’s still a secret to is my son-” 

Klaus’s face turned stone cold as he cut me off, “If you even think about telling him-”

“You’ll what? Try and lock me away until the wedding?” I asked him.

“Maybe I will if this preposterous truth-telling idiocy has gone to your head,” Klaus stated. “Under no circumstances will you divulge any family secrets, especially none that would endanger my children!” 

“Esther is gone, Klaus and Charles have proved to us that he wasn’t working for her. If I can see your siblings as my own, then the very least you could do is consider my flesh and blood son your family too!” I argued and stormed past him to make my way back to Charles’s shack. 

“Your son died!” Klaus exclaimed and I turned to him quickly.

“So did Henrik,” I scoffed. “Yet he’s here, alive and well. Not to mention, you were so quick to add him back to  _ our _ family even though we  _ knew _ he was working for Esther, while it was only a theory in Charles’s case!” Klaus’s jaw clenched in rage with the comparison. “Finn is growing more powerful by the day and the more allies we have, the better.”

“The outcome of your guilt is not worth the risk it imposes on our children,” Klaus said and I became frustrated.

“Well, it's not a risk if I trust  _ my child _ . Their _ brother _ ,” I said to him. Klaus rolled his eyes and I grabbed his chin so he’d look at me. “Klaus, I know my son. With him in the loop, and the wedding giving Victor’s power to everyone, we are going to have a whole army of super-wolves who will protect our children with their lives.” 

“He doesn’t need to know about them for the ceremony to work.” I dropped my hand from his face. 

“Damnit, Klaus! For once think about this apart from what your paranoia is telling you!” I exclaimed. “Has it ever occurred to you how painful it is for me to keep this from him? To not talk about this with someone else that isn’t you or Elijah? To not tell my brothers that their niece and nephew are still alive?” 

“I have considered it, and I have deemed it absurd. You know the cost if you were to open your mouth to anyone outside of our inner circle,” Klaus responded.

“My brothers and son are in our inner circle. They’re family for god's sake! My blood! Can’t you see that?!” I yelled. 

“People are only let into our inner circle only if I allow them to be, and your supposed blood isn’t allowed,” Klaus sneered and I stepped away from him, surprised by his words. To say I was hurt was an understatement. Klaus seemed to realize the power of his words when I shook my head and began to walk back to Charles’s shack. He sighed and called out, “Alexandria, wait!” 

“No! I am done listening to you!” I yelled and continued to walk further away from him. “Let me know when you decide to trust me again.” 

Klaus sped in front of me and grabbed both my shoulders forcing me to stop in my tracks. “Stop,” Klaus said softly and I shoved him away.

“Get out of my way, Klaus,” I ordered him. “I will not stand here and let you tell me what I can and can not do to protect my children.”

“Our children!” Klaus corrected me.

“Right.  _ Ours _ . But it is your paranoia that won’t let you hear what I’m saying,” I explained. “ It was your mother who tried to kill them and lord knows what your equally psychotic brother is up to-”

“I will deal with Finn, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are being blinded by your guilt for leaving Charles,” Klaus stated.

“Listen to yourself, Klaus! Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth?!” I shouted. “You are so sure of yourself it's disgusting. I can’t stand how you’re blindly projecting your guilt onto me. Do you know how exhausting it is to listen to you and try to make sense of your maniacal paranoia?! Klaus, you need to listen to me for once! My son, my flesh and blood, has not and will never work for Esther. That is more than what can be said for your brothers. The less said about them the better. Finn the sycophant, Elijah the deranged, Kol the temperamental - who to this very week has plotted against you - and Henrik the little spy who you killed.” Klaus looked hurt by my words and the truth held within them, but feelings didn’t matter here. If facts hurt his oh so delicate ego, then oh well.

“You want to talk about guilt, then let's talk about how you should have ripped his head off the second he came back. You knew he was a rat and yet you kept him around and endangered our children. Yet I willingly left my sons when I became a vampire, to protect them. However, you abandoned the one person who was the closest thing you had to a child the second that your life got tough, and you didn’t even try to save him...you just left him to die. So  _ do not _ step up to me and spout such baseless vitriol because your ego can’t handle not being in total control.” I explained. 

We stared at each other in rage and I took a few deep breaths before continuing, “Do you even get why we need an army of people? It's because, in a thousand years,  _ you _ have collected countless enemies. You look at me like I’m inexperienced because I’m only nearing three-hundred to your ten-thousand, but let's take a look at who’s had a more successful life. Who has allies and people willing to do things for them? Who has people that can be trusted implicitly? Me. Not you. So maybe take a step back and let me do what I’ve been doing...because Lord knows we need some success around here.”

“Fine, Alexandria! You're right. I've done awful things and made enemies all around the globe. How many times do you want me to apologize for it?!” Klaus shouted. “There's nothing to do about it now. And maybe I could trust you with your plans and allies, but where are they now? I haven't seen a hide or hair off them. Not even your brothers, though that may be a blessing, as weak as Stefan is but you call Elijah deranged, well take a long look at Damon, love. If I know one thing it's who to trust...and Charles is not one of those very key individuals who can be trusted.”

“For the love of-” I cut myself off before I cussed him out. “In your paranoid mind,  _ nobody _ \- not even  _ me _ \- can be trusted! Where does it end?!” I yelled, finally losing my temper with him.

“There is no end! That is the point. Need I remind you that I killed my father to protect them?” Klaus shouted at me. 

“You think I don’t know that?! I held you in my arms as you mourned him!” I exclaimed. “But Charles isn’t like him. He isn’t a threat.” I hesitated then cupped Klaus’s face in my hands. “I know that telling him is for the best, my love. He is our family as much as Henrik is. With Charles and the wolves at our side, we can bring our babies home...but you have to trust me on this and let me tell him.” 

Klaus’s eyes softened, and he gently caressed my face with his hand, before kissing my forehead softly. “I do trust you,” Klaus said and I could hear the truth in his words. He leaned his forehead against mine and stared into my eyes. “I will always trust you. More than anyone in my life,” Klaus whispered and gave me a soft, passionate kiss before everything went black.

* * *

###  Klaus’s P.O.V

####  ~Later that Night~

“ _ Don’t plan on dying before the wedding _ ,  _ right _ ?” I heard Charles ask inside his cabin. “ _ I think my great-granddaughter would be heartbroken. _ ”

“ _ Alex and he are at odds _ ,  _ according to Hayley _ ,  _ and it’s for your good _ ... _ if Klaus decides to pay you a visit afterward _ ,” Victor replied and I sped to the doorway.

“Speak the devil’s name…” Victor bowed his head, while Charles wiped the water off of his hands as he walked up to me. “Et cetera, et cetera,” I said with a small smile. Victor stood up near Charles, ready to pounce if necessary. “I was wondering if I could have a quick chat with my girlfriend’s son?” 

Victor moved towards me, but Charles stopped him by saying, “It’s ok.” I smiled at him in amusement as he came nose to nose with me without leaving the safety of his home. “Where’s my mother?” Charles asked.

“Resting,” I answered. “She was exhausted after helping set up the preparations for the wedding. No matter. Gives us another chance to chat.”

“I want your word. This is between you and me,” Charles stated.

“Why, of course. You have my word as a gentleman,” I said and stared at him for a moment, watching the wheels turn in his head as I took a step back. 

Charles looked back to Victor and said, “Don’t follow us.” I raised my eyebrows in surprise as he looked back at me. “As I said...it’s between me and him.” Alexandria’s eldest “son” then stepped forward and I smiled.

“Brave lad,” I stated before the veins under my eyes popped out and I sped away with him.

~

I threw him in the middle of the forest, miles away from his little makeshift home, and watched him carefully. “Klaus! You wanna fight me? Come on!” Charles yelled as he looked around for me. I walked up behind him slowly as he turned to me.

“You mistake my intentions,” I told him. “I haven’t come here to fight you. Not at all. This is to be an execution.” Since my fiancé can’t bring herself to do it for the sake of our children. I stopped a few feet away from him. “Tell me. How exactly would you like to die?” 

I punched him in the gut and face, breaking his jaw. Charles took a few good swings at me before I harshly threw him on his back, breaking one of his ribs. “Most of my victims start screaming about now.” Charles got up and threw two more punches at me. I blocked the second one and punched him in the face again. He fell on his knees with his back facing me. “I’d prefer if you spared me the tedium of any last words.” Charles turned around to me. “But if you are so inclined, now would be the time,” I said.

“Go to hell, you bastard,” He growled. 

“Bastard, yes. That is exactly what I am. Made so by your precious mentor, Ansel.” Charles was struggling to breathe a bit as he looked at me. “I’m curious, did he teach you to regard me with such loathing? Or is that your attempt to protect Alexandria’s heart?” I asked him.

“Is that what this is about?” Charles asked me as he got back on his feet. “Are you jealous I got to spend time with your daddy?” I had to hold myself back from snapping his neck right then and there. 

“You were his most prized pupil,” I stated as I walked closer to him. “The benefactor to all of his wisdom.” I grabbed his shoulder and punched him in the gut. “Look at all the good he’s done you.” I pushed him back to the floor as he began to cough, but he just stood back up moments later. Well, he has Alexandria’s resilience.

“You could’ve learned from him yourself,” Charles claimed as he walked up to me. “If only you hadn’t killed him.” With that, I kicked him in the leg and he fell to one knee, before kicking him in the face, causing him to flip over. 

“I see you’ve mastered the self-righteous air of all hypocrites. No, the truth is you’re worse than me. Using Alexandria’s love and your own great-granddaughter's trust in you for your self-serving power grab,” I said.

“You’re wrong!” Charles shouted.

“You want the power of a hybrid so you can wage wars and win territories,” I stated as Charles got back up on his feet. “After all, that’s what wolves do.” Charles managed to punch me in the jaw before falling back down to the ground. 

“You don’t know a damn thing about being a wolf,” Charles exclaimed.

“No, I don’t,” I agreed. “I never had the luxury to live among my kind, nor the chance to truly know my father...just like your beloved mother.”

“Don’t talk about my mother!”

I grabbed the wolf by his neck and stared him down. “But you knew him. You knew both of them,” I said. “Perhaps they saw in you the children they always wanted.” I began to choke him as he kneeled before me. “I’m glad Alex and I were spared such a sorry fate.” I threw Charles against the tree behind me and watched him fall to the ground like a rag doll. After a few moments, he began to crawl away from me.

“I’ve drawn this out for long enough,” I said as I followed him. “But you can hardly blame me. I find the sheer audacity of your plot quite offensive. I love Alexandria with my entire heart and she is my family now...and you would seek to use her for your petty ambitions.”

“I’m not using her,” Charles repeated.

“Just admit you're true intentions for this farce of a wedding and I will end this quickly,” I promised.

“I love my mother, and I will fight for her,” Charles stated. He then turned around and stabbed me in the gut with a wooden stick. Ok, a point to you mate. “Til I’m dead.”

I groaned and pulled out the stake, then looked down to see he hadn’t moved. “Well, you’ve got more fight in you than I’d have imagined,” I complimented him, then grabbed him by the neck, again. “But I remain unimpressed.” I pointed the stick to his heart and he grabbed my wrist, to which I gave him an amused look. 

“You told my mother once that my people were yours too. If you kill me now…promise me...you will help her and Hayley free them,” Charles said and I stared at him in disbelief for a moment. 

I was wrong about him.

The next thing I knew someone pushed away from Charles and kicked in the chest. Alexandria straddled me as she repeatedly punched me. I grabbed her fist and rolled her off of me. We stood a few feet apart with Charles on the ground behind her. 

“What are you doing?!” Alexandria yelled at me. “That is my son! Do you understand that?!” I stared at her as I hid my shame. “I get that you’re not related to him, but that gives you no right to treat him like Mikael did you!” I looked at her in shock from the truth of her comparison, before flickering my gaze to Charles, who was now sitting against a tree for support. “I will not let history repeat itself, not unless you're willing to go through me. Because I swear on my mother’s grave, Klaus, that if you lay another hand on him...Henrik  _ will _ die.”

I looked back up at my beloved as she held her head up high and defended her son. I saw the pain in her eyes, knowing that I had hurt her child in rage and jealousy. Tilting my head a bit I looked at her with eyes that pleaded for forgiveness concerning my earlier actions. Alexandria was right. I had gone too far, and my paranoia about Mother and Finn had blinded me from recognizing who Charles was to her. I took a step closer to Alexandria, in which she took a step closer to her son. I paused and froze in place, then dropped the stick in my hand as a sign of good faith. 

Taking another, careful step closer, I stood nose to nose with her. “Are you a hundred percent sure he is worthy of being a part of our family?” I asked Alexandria softly, not wanting to argue with her any further. 

Alexandria watched me for a moment before taking a step forward and cupping my jaw with her hand. “Yes,” She replied. 

“Then I trust your judgment on him,” I promised her and her hand dropped to my chest. I looked at Charles, who was moving to lean against the tree. He stared at me, and how close I stood to his mother, in anger. “I hope one day you both can forgive me for today. I had to be sure.” I looked back down to Alexandria. “I was wrong.” I cupped Alexandria’s cheek before whispering, “Tell him and continue with the ceremony.”

However, once I let go of Alexandria I stepped to the side and came closer to Charles. “Even though I was wrong, mark my words. If you ever break her heart, I will find you and I will deposit your head on the end of a spike. Perhaps I’ll leave it somewhere for Hayley to find.” 

“Same could be said for you,” Charles replied and I smirked. 

“With that attitude, you might just survive this family...or my half of it anyways,” I commented then turned back to Alexandria. “I’ll see you at home.” I kissed the crown of her head before speeding away. 

* * *

###  Alex’s P.O.V

After the whole showdown between Klaus and Charles in the woods, I sped him back to his home and fed him my blood. We were sitting on the porch overlooking the lake. “You okay?” I asked him.

“All healed up thanks to your blood,” Charles said.

“You know what I mean,” I replied.

Charles hesitated before asking, “Why didn't he kill me?”

“Klaus is afraid of trusting anyone, and I have to admit that I can be like that too. I think he realized that not trusting you and killing you would be worse because he'd end up surrounded by enemies. Alone,” I explained to him. “However you did witness him do something that is completely rare: apologize for his actions and ask for forgiveness. Normally his siblings and I are the only ones blessed with that sight.”

“He told you to tell me something,” Charles said. 

I reached out and grabbed his hand. “Yeah, um...there’s another story I need to tell you and I think it’ll answer all the questions you’ve been asking Klaus and me,” I said, softly. “It’s about a handsome little boy and a beautiful baby girl...and the parents who swore there was nothing in the world they wouldn't do to protect them.” 


	23. Chapter 22

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Victor was outside of the old shack in the Bayou, where he was wrestling and playing with a handful of young children. They're all pulling on his arms and legs to try to get him to fall over as Victor laughed happily. Hayley was watching them and [I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/510947520229586497/) could see her engagement ring shining in the sun. She had the biggest smile on her face and I was so happy they found each other. Rebekah was also home in her new body, according to the quick text Klaus sent me this morning when she showed up. I stopped watching Hayley and Victor when I sensed someone watching me. I sped over to a wooded area nearby, where I found Marcel and shoved him against a tree, catching him off-guard.

“Ahhh! Whoa!” Marcel said startled. He saw me staring blankly at him and nervously put up his hands to show he's not a threat. “Wait! I'm not here to hurt you!” 

“Well, stalking me is a very funny way of showing it. You're lucky we're friends, or I would have just killed you,” I told him.

“Okay, remember our friendship when I tell you why I'm here. Finn sent me to get your blood,” He said and I looked at him confused.

“Why would Finn want my blood?” I asked. 

“I assume he needs it for a locator spell... to find your children,” Marcel said and his words hit me like a freight train.

“No.” This can’t be happening. Not now. Not when we’re so close. I looked around anxiously to make sure no one was listening in. “How does he know?” I asked.

“He put two and two together,” He said.

“Where's Finn now?”

“I don't know. He said he'd tell me where to meet him later. But listen - I gotta give him something. He's killing one of my guys every hour until he gets it,” Marcel explained.

“Will Finn know if you come back to the Quarter with me?” I asked him.

“Yes,” Marcel quickly answered. 

“Then stay here and text Victor. I need to talk to Klaus,” I said.

“Alex-”

“Just stay here, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I begged then rushed away, leaving Marcel looking anxious and scared.

####  ~At the Compound~

I stormed into the compound, tears full of fear were collecting in my eyes as I made the trip here. Finn knew. It wasn’t anyone's fault. He simply figured it out and sadly I couldn’t kill someone because of that. Klaus was on his knees in the courtyard and stood up as I rushed up to him. “Alex, what are you doing here?” Klaus asked, then noticed my tears. “What’s wrong?”

“He knows Klaus,” I said, letting a tear fall. “Finn knows.” Klaus' grip on me got tighter and he looked me dead in the eye. 

“How?”

“Marcel said he just put two and two together,” I explained. “Marcel also came to the Bayou, asking for my blood because Finn needed it for a locator spell in order to find them. He’s killing one of his guys every hour until Marcel brings it to him, or something that will fool him at least.” 

Klaus let go of me, then yelled for his sister, and a girl I had never met came rushing down. Ok, that’s going to take some time getting used to. “Alex?” Rebekah asked.

“Fill her in while I call Elijah,” Klaus ordered.

“Fill me in on what? What’s going on?” Rebekah asked quickly. 

“Finn knows about the twins and is taking the lives of one of Marcel’s vampires every hour until he gets a vial of my blood for his locator spell,” I explained, then our gaze immediately went to Klaus next. 

“Pick up the damn phone, Elijah. Finn is trying to find the twins,” Klaus groaned into the phone, before hanging up. I pulled out my phone to see if Elijah had responded to my hundred of texts I sent him on the way here. 

“She’s safe. It’ll take a hundred witches to break the cloaking spell,” Rebekah reassured us. 

“I would’ve said the same about Mother finding you. Yet a flock of starlings later and here we are,” Klaus rebuked as I began to pace. 

“He won't get to them, but you both need to remain calm,” Rebekah said. 

“Our brother doesn't do calm,” Henrik’s voice suddenly said. 

He threw some powder at Rebekah and she collapsed. Henrik bound me to the pillar behind us, before causing Klaus’s blood to spill from his mouth. No! Kol came up behind him and I saw the rage in his face. “No,” Klaus groaned.

“Oh, you’re angry, are you?” Kol asked him. “Well, join the party. I’ve been here a thousand years.” Klaus tried to rush up to Kol, but Henrik pushed him to his knees. 

“Kol stop this!” I yelled as I fought against the spell.

“I was teaching Henrik to build that dagger to protect ourselves from you, Nik. I’m not the bad guy in this chapter of our family’s story,” Kol began to explain as he circled Klaus. “I’m the wronged, and whilst you got everything that you wanted.” Klaus began to wipe his face. “I got a family who didn’t care if I lived or if I died.”

“Oh, shut up.” Klaus grabbed Kol and pinned him to the wall while knocking Henrik to the ground in the process. I dropped to my knees and looked back up to Klaus and Kol. “We’ve all suffered. We’ve all been wronged!” Klaus yelled at his little brother. 

“Go on. Go on, finish it off. Go on, kill me!” Kol challenged and I stared in shock. Henrik moved to the tiny puddle of Klaus blood on the floor and began to put it in a vail. I quickly grabbed it from his hand and crushed it. Little rat was not going to be helping Finn find my kids.

We looked back over at the brothers when we heard something drop to the floor. “I’m not going to kill you, you idiot. Despite your behavior, you’re still my brother,” Klaus explained and Kol didn’t meet his eyes. Klaus turned around to Henrik and me, as his younger brother stood up. 

“Just the one you dagger, repeatedly,” Kol replied and Klaus turned back to him.

“I’ve daggered all of you. Each for your own good. If you don’t agree with my motives, fine. I never claim to be the bastion of temperance, but stop this drivel about being singled out and unloved. You are a Mikaelson. You’re my blood!” Klaus exclaimed before looking between Henrik and Kol. “And I need both of your help.” Klaus kneeled down to Kol on the floor. “I need you by my side.” Kol stared at him for a while before giving a slight nod, and I saw as Henrik took a step closer to them.

“What does that even mean, Niklaus? Hm?” Henrik asked him and Klaus turned around. “You talk about family. Family this, family that. But why should I continue to help you when I haven’t earned the right to share your secrets, unlike everyone else in this room?” 

“No. You haven’t,” Klaus said. “But by all means, brother, prove yourself. It’s not too late.”

Henrik looked confused and lost, as Kol stood up behind Klaus. I walked in front of him and softly grabbed him by the shoulder. “Henrik, I’m begging you. Tell me why Finn wants Klaus’s blood?” I asked him.

Henrik hesitated, and I don’t know what made him tell me the truth, but maybe it was desperation in my eyes. “Finn is looking for something. He told Kol he’d heal him if we delivered Klaus’s blood to him,” Henrik explained.

“Do you know where he is?” Klaus asked. 

“Why should I tell you? Kol is still dying and if you give Finn your blood, he can be healed.” Henrik said while stepping away from me. Kol walked towards Henrik, with a very soft demeanor. 

“Except I know enough about dark magic to know that I’m hexed,” Kol told him. I looked between Klaus and Kol in confusion. When did this happen? “There’s no reversing what Finn’s done to me. Which makes him a murderer and a liar, and if I’m gonna die, the last thing we should do is let him get what he wants.” 

Henrik stared at Kol in shock for a moment, before looking at Klaus. “If I tell you, will you let me in on why Finn wants your blood so badly?” Henrik asked and Klaus took a step forward. 

“Once Finn is buried underneath six feet of dirt, I promise to tell you,” Klaus answered.

Henrik hesitated, then said, “He’ll be in the bell tower of St. Louis Cathedral.” He then looked at Kol, for a moment, before walking up to Klaus and grabbing his arms. “Go inside my head,” Henrik placed Klaus' hands on his head. “Find the spell. Let’s finish this.” 

Klaus gave him one final look before going into his head. I walked up to Kol and he smiled at me weakly. “When did Finn hex you?” I asked.

“Last night,” Kol answered. “Decided to be the distraction so Davina could get her friend, Josh, safe from Finn.”

I chuckled and replied, “Seems like you two are close.”

“Yeah,” Kol replied with a smile. “Sadly right as I have a good thing in my life, I’m about to be ripped away from it. But I swear on my life, I won’t let Finn succeed.” 

I smiled and said, “Thank you.” My phone buzzed with a text from Marcel asking where I was. “Klaus,” He turned to me after letting go of Henrik's head. “I’m going to go back to the bayou and get Victor’s blood for Marcel to give to him. You track down Finn and call me when you find something out.” Klaus nodded before I sped back to the bayou.


	24. Chapter 23

###  Alex's P.O.V

####  ~At the Bayou~

Outside Charles's cabin, he had gathered all of the Alphas of the packs intending to join the Crescents and had set up the ingredients for the ritual to bind them to our pack. They were going to step down and recognize Hayley as their Alpha, and I love that thought. Victor was standing next to her while Charles waved a smudge-stick of sage over a bowl before turning to Hayley and the other Alphas.

“Wolves are bonded by what is most important to us. The earth of our territory. The blood of our packs,” Charles said and walked towards the Alphas, as I rushed up to the bride and groom to be.

“We have a problem,” I said to them.

“What's wrong?” Victor asked, concerned and I looked around.

“Too many ears,” I stated. I looked over at the Alphas, who were each pouring a handful of grains into the bowl to symbolize the merging of their packs. “But, I need some of your blood.” Victor gave me a puzzled look. “It's - it's a stall. I'll explain later.” I watched Victor put two and two together in his mind. 

Victor led me away to Charles’s cabin where Marcel was safely inside. We poured his blood in a small vial then gave it to Marcel before Victor stepped outside to try and call Daniel. Klaus texted me a few seconds later, ‘ _ It was all a distraction. Stay in the Bayou, I’ll call if I need you. _ ’ I groaned and threw my phone against the wall in anger.

“Alex, what’s wrong?” Marcel asked.

“Klaus just texted me, it was all a fucking plan to keep us distracted while Finn goes after them. Not mention Elijah isn’t answering any my text or Klaus’s calls-”

“And neither is Daniel,” Victor stated as he came back in. “I’ve called and texted him, but there’s no reply.” 

“That’s it! I have to get there even if it is a six-hour drive,” I exclaimed and went to leave the cabin. 

“Whoa, wait!” Marcel said, speeding in front of me.

“Get out of my way Marcel,” I growled.

“You said so yourself, it's six hours away. Finn's already there,” Marcel reasoned.

“I can't just stand here and do nothing!” I freaked out.

“Alex!” Victor grabbed me by my shoulders. “Listen to me! Elijah is never gonna let anything happen to those kids today! So take a deep breath, and come help us build the army that'll help keep them safe tomorrow,” Victor explained, trying to calm me down, and I looked at him anxiously.

“I can’t lose them,” I confessed. 

“You won’t,” Victor reassured me. After a moment, I slowed my breathing down and nodded in agreement before he led me out of the cabin. 

~

Victor and I rushed back to where Hayley and Charles were. I stopped Victor for a moment, then heard Hayley say, “ _ Gia _ ,  _ you don't have to do this _ !” 

“ _ I'm sorry _ , _ but I do _ ,” Gia replied and I sped over to them in time to stop Charles from killing one of the vampires. 

“No!” I said and Charles looked at me confused. Marcel intervened and broke the neck of the vampire trying to attack her.

“We just need to keep them at bay until Finn's spell breaks,” Marcel explained to us.

“It's a hell of a spell!” Hayley exclaimed and I snapped the neck of the vampire attacking Charles.

“Get the Alphas to the cabin. Alex and I will hold them off,” Victor told them. Marcel followed behind Charles, Hayley, and the other Alphas. 

“Try and keep my guys alive,” Marcel said to me and I nodded.

“I’ll do my best!” I shouted and punched a vampire in the face before snapping the necks of two of them in a row with both hands. 

“This is not the thing I’d thought I’d be doing today!” Victor yelled as we kept kicking and punching the vampires coming towards us. 

“Yeah, well, welcome to my world!” I exclaimed and threw a vampire so he was impaled in the stomach with a wooden pole. I turned around and saw Gia standing behind me. Blood surrounded her lips and I looked at her with sympathy. “I don’t want to kill you Gia.” Before I knew it her eye began to flutter shut and Marcel sped up behind her and caught her before she fell. I looked at him confused before we all realized every vampire had collapsed. 

“They broke the spell,” Marcel said. He grabbed Gia's body bridal style and began to walk away with her. 

“Mom!” “Victor!” I heard Charles and Hayley shout behind us. I turned around and Charles brought me into a hug, as Hayley did with Victor. 

“Are you ok? Are you hurt?” I asked him frantically.

“Mom, I’m fine,” Charles reassured me and I sighed in relief before looking at Victor and Hayley. 

“You two need to get married as soon as possible,” I told them.

“Agreed,” Victor answered and I sighed. 


	25. Chapter 24

###  Alex’s P.O.V

[I](https://www.floryday.com/Long-Sleeve-V-Neck-Coats-Coats-m1234126) was quickly packing a bag of clothes. Elijah had called me saying they were on the road. Oh! And Klaus’s supposed older sister, Freya, is back from the dead and that means Dahlia is most likely coming too. “What do you think you're doing?” Klaus asked me. I didn't look at him, I just continued packing.

“Elijah said they're on the road. So, I'm going to go to them and get our children,” I said as I turned around to him. 

“Alex-” 

“Don’t tell me that it's not safe! I'll tell you what's not safe - blowing up a house just to keep your evil older brother from finding our daughter and son and killing them!” I yelled and Klaus sighed, digressing to my point. The only bright side of blowing up the house is that Kol’s hex would dissipate with Finn’s death. 

“We will deal with Finn,” Klaus promised me.

“And then what? What is the final solution because every time you kill him, he's just going to jump into another body,” I exclaimed.

“We tried running. We tried hiding. Neither will work,” He said.

“So what's your goddamn idea, we don't have time for dramatics here Klaus!?” I asked him.

“As it happens, I am working on a plan as we speak! One which will be bolstered greatly if you just calm down and keep your eye on the prize!” Klaus yelled at me. 

“Do not try to manage me, I have every right to-” 

“Alexandria, Victor, and Hayley are getting married today.” Klaus took hold of my wrists trying to calm me down. “An act which will seal the loyalty of all the wolves that answer to Finn.” I gave him a look. “They will be high generals to an army that will protect our children, and they look to you for guidance. You will be their leader, their Queen.” He took the bag out of my hand and sat it on the bed. “And a Queen does not run,” He said firmly, before pulling me into a hug. Klaus began to rub my back when he noticed I wasn’t calming down. “Elijah and Daniel will keep them safe until the wedding is over and we can bring them home.” 

“I know,” I said, letting my shoulder sag a bit and pulled away so I could look at him. “But the safest place for them is to be in our arms, not on the run from their uncle.” 

“And I wish to the heavens that it never had to be like this in the first place,” Klaus replied. “But once the wedding is over with I promise to take you to them ok?” I nodded in agreement before he pulled me back into another hug. 

~

I stood in the doorway of Hayley’s bedroom, hiding the [wedding dress](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/174514554291539832/) I picked out from her view. “Alright, bad news first - Rebekah will have to miss your nuptials,” I told her and she seemed a bit disappointed. “Kol has a bit of a life-and-death matter he needs help dealing with, which is causing me to worry about my children even more.”

“Anything I can do to help, Alex?” She asked and I shook my head.

“It's witch business. Which seems to be her thing now.” Hayley laughed and rolled her eyes. “Plus Klaus says he has a plan in motion for our whole... _ Finn _ problem. Besides, you are helping me more than you can know,” I said, then pulled out the wedding dress from its hiding spot and walked closer to her. “It's white, which won't fool anyone, but you can't get married in skinny jeans and combat boots.” 

“Oh, Alex, thank you,” Hayley said in awe. She walked over to the mirror in her room and held it against her body. “It's beautiful.”

“Well, I’ve been through this whole process before. Sadly the fashion of the 1800s wasn't quite as forgiving or beautiful as this,” I commented as Hayley hung the dress on top of the mirror, before turning to me. “But happily, times have changed.”

“And I know for a fact you will get another chance at walking down the aisle,” Hayley stated. “Have you and Klaus ever talked about getting married?” She asked.

“Yeah, when we went and visited the kids. The topic definitely came up,” I stated. 

“Then maybe I’ll see you walking down the aisle in a wedding dress soon,” Hayley replied and I chuckled.

“Maybe,” I repeated and went to leave her alone. 

~

Charles walked into the living room where I was sitting. The ballroom was full of decorators and caterers who were setting up for the impending wedding today. “It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped into this world,” Charles said and I laughed as he sat across from me. 

“Same,” I replied. 

“And what about Klaus and you?” Charles asked.

“I thought you didn’t like him?” I questioned.

“I don’t, but I’d be lying to myself if I said I didn’t see it coming soon,” Charles answered.

“If it does happen, it won’t be until after all the other shit going on in our lives is dealt with,” I explained to him and Charles nodded.

“Alex,” I heard Elijah say behind me and my eyebrows knitted together as I turned around towards his voice. Elijah stood there holding Cordelia while Daniel was holding Leo. Klaus was standing beside them and I stood up, walking closer to the twins. 

“You brought them here? Finn could be anywhere!” I worryingly exclaimed. 

“I've taken precautions. There'll be no uninvited guests at the wedding, and after, the wolves will be the first line of defense to this home. No more running,” Klaus explained and smiled at me. 

I walked up to Elijah and took my daughter into my arms first before taking Leo. Cordelia immediately began cooing and babbling happily when she was in arms and Leo did the same. I giggled constantly before turning around to Charles. He looked between the twins and me in awe before cracking a smile. 

“Cordelia, Leo, this is your brother, Charles. Charles, this is Cordelia and Leo,” I said. Charles smiled down at them, before reaching out to rub Leo’s arm. Leo grabbed his finger and squeezed it while cooing at his older brother. 

Charles looked at me, then asked, “May I?” I nodded and he reached to take Leo into his arms. Charles held his little brother to his chest in a sweet manner. Leo giggled at him while pushing off Charles’s chest to look into his eyes. “He’s so small,” Charles whispered and I smiled at their interaction. I looked over at Klaus with a smile before looking down at our daughter. 

~

I was watching the twins play with their toys in my room. I was [dressed](https://za.pinterest.com/pin/313633561545306775/) and simply waiting for the ceremony to begin. “Ah-ha-ha! I still can't believe that you're here!” I said and kneeled down in front of them. “Now, Mommy has to go attend this big thing, but don’t worry, Erica and Cami will look over you. After that, I'm not letting you out of my sight!” They made a squeaky excited noise and Leo chewed on a little teddy bear he held. He leaned into my face, and I laughed, thrilled to have them here with me.

A slight knock came from the doorway and I saw Daniel standing there. “Hey,” He said.

“Hey,” I replied and stood up. “I thought you’d be reuniting with your boyfriend?” 

“I will, but first I need to tell you something...” Daniel looked down at the twins, which caused me to glance at them and make sure they were ok. “Regarding the twins.” My head snapped back at him. 

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing life-threatening, I promise,” Daniel quickly added on. “But I think we need to revisit the idea of Cordelia and Leo, begin a vampire, witch, and werewolf at the same time.” I scoffed and crossed my arms. “Just hear me out. Now we already know they are both werewolves given that it’s unavoidable with you and Klaus being their parents.”

“Ok, so how are they the other two?” I asked, still not believing him.

“A few days ago the twins were playing on the floor. Cordelia pulled at the cloth and caused two knickknacks to fall on her and her brother. They only got a little cut and we quickly cleaned them up, before placing bandages on them,” Daniel explained and I looked at him confused before looking back at the twins. 

“But-” 

“About thirty minutes later, when Erica, Cami, and I went out with the twins while Elijah repaired the house, I noticed the wounds had completely healed. I took off the bandages to see just that. Both of your kids healed themselves, Alex, and self-healing like that are only connected to vampires,” Daniel explained. 

“And werewolves-” I began to argue but he cut me off again.

“Yes, but only after they trigger their curse. Look Alex even if the curse was already magically triggered, they wouldn’t heal that quickly.” I looked back at my kids and placed my hands on my hips. “The only possible explanation for this is they are part vampire as well. It also makes me worry about what else their blood can do since this is true.”

“Look, Daniel, fine, I can buy them being wolves because you’re right...it’s inevitable given that Klaus and I are both werewolves. But what I can and will not buy is that my twins, my living, breathing babies are somehow part vampire.” I paused for a moment. “You get that means they died right? I don't understand this obsession with them being all three just because I am technically dead doesn't mean they are too.” I argued

“It’s a possibility,” Daniel said. “Nothing like this has ever been experienced. It's not just a werewolf-distant-witch-gene pairing that created them. You and Klaus are both dead. That's a double whammy, Alex...like you see how strange it is. It's more than just a new genetic mutation! If I’m right and they are part vampire, then their blood is dangerous! You need to at least be aware of the possibility so you can prepare for it to be true.” 

“Ok, fine. You've got the idea in my head, it's not going away anytime soon, so will you drop it?” I asked him. Daniel sighed in frustration but nodded. “Ok, next point...you also said they were both witches. How do you know that’s true?”

“When we went out that day, we took two different cars. Leo was in the one with me and Cordelia was with Cami and Erica. Both cars shut off completely when we were a safe distance from the house right before it blew up, and I checked the cars as soon as they broke down. Both were perfectly working, then the house exploded and the cars turned back on right after.” Daniel explained. 

I let out a large breath and watched my kids carefully. Daniel could be lying but why would he? Especially about something as important as this. “I’m assuming you haven’t told Klaus,” I concluded. 

“Thought it’d sound better coming from you, given that their powers are going to make him more paranoid about their safety,” Daniel replied. 

“Believe me, we’re both past paranoid by now. Why do you think this wedding is happening, other than freeing the pack from the witches?” I questioned him. “I told you - when Victor and you brought this up to us the first time - we’d be idiots to think that our enemies wouldn’t come after them if they possessed these powers. Now you’re telling me they do. If word spreads or our enemies work it out on their own…” I rubbed the top of my chest anxiously. “They won’t hesitate to kill them.”

“I know,” Daniel replied. “It’s why I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

“Be the one to tell her what?” Klaus asked from behind Daniel, and I turned to my fiancé. 

Daniel looked between us, and said, “I’ll leave you two alone,” before leaving the room. 

Klaus looked at me in awe before saying, “You look gorgeous as always, my love.” I didn’t meet his eyes while staring at the floor and he noticed. “Alex?” Then he saw the way I was holding myself and I kept glancing at our kids. Klaus walked up to me and grabbed my arm gently, causing me to look up at him. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

I put on a fake smile, that I knew he could see through, before grabbing his hand and intertwining our fingers together. “I’m ok,” I told him.

“No, you're not. What did Daniel tell you?” Klaus asked.

“I’ll tell you after the wedding, alright? Just not right now. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it,” I explained to him. “And find the right words to explain it to you.” Klaus watched me for a moment, then looked at our kids before pulling me into his chest. If this is your way of saying ok, I’ll take it after the bombshell Daniel dropped on me. I rested my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. He kissed the top of my head and held onto me while I watched our kids with a small, worried gaze. 


	26. Chapter 25

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  *Flashback 1860*

Father and I stood at the end of the aisle at the church, with our arms linked together. The music was playing as he started to lead me down to Erin at the end. I had a smile on my face that never quite reached my eyes. Only Damon would notice that though, everyone else would buy into the fantasy. Father wore the same smile as me too. I knew the last thing he wanted to do was be near me. 

I wished the music would go faster so I could get away. I should be happy, though. Erin was a good man, or at least he acted like one. He has to be better than Father, no matter what. If not, then I would kill myself before I got pregnant, whether it be a week or a year from now, I would never bear a child for a despicable man, I would not be my mother. Living with him, being his wife, is the closest thing I have to a better life. Damon watched from his seat with Stefan. Damon seemed sad because he knew I wasn't happy, but Stefan was glad I was getting married. Glad I was getting out from under Father's roof.

We reached the end of the aisle, and my smile never dropped. Not when Father kissed my cheek and gave me a look that said, "Do not fail me." I turned and took Erin's hand as he helped me up the steps to his side. Don't screw this up. It's just two simple words that seal me to Erin for the rest of my life. It can't be that hard to remember. 

####  *Present Day*

Klaus and I stood on the balcony overlooking the ceremony. I looked to Charles standing underneath the archway across from us while waiting for the bride and groom. Let this work; we need it now more than ever with the twins home. Josh and Daniel were sitting together, between Marcel and Davina. I was holding onto the railing as everyone stood up at the bride's arrival. I watched as she walked up the aisle next to Victor, then as they parted ways and made their way up each staircase to the altar where Charles was standing. Once they stood across from each other, I smiled at the sight. 

"Please, be seated," Charles said to everyone, and the guests below sat back down in their chairs, as Elijah came up to stand by Klaus and I. "We gather together as a community seeking peace, inspired by this couple standing before you." Hayley turned her head and looked at the three of us with a smile. I returned the gesture before she looked back at her groom. "There was a time when werewolves saw themselves not as cursed but blessed with a connection to our most pure selves. And tonight, we honor that blessing with this unification." 

Charles began to fasten their hands together by binding Victor and Hayley's wrists with baby's breath flowers, as he continued speaking. "In doing so, we choose to embrace Victor's hybrid nature. With this union, he will share his unique gifts with our pack." Charles placed a long lit match into their linked hands to light their ceremonial candle in front of them. "And now...your vows." 

"I pledge to honor...and defend you and yours...above all others," Victor said.

"To share in blessings and burdens. To be your advocate...your champion," Hayley said.

"To be your comfort...your sanctuary. And for as long as we both shall live..." 

"To be your family," Hayley promised.

"To be your family," Victor promised. They smiled at each other and lit the candle together, then blew out the match.

"You two have endured all the traditional werewolf rituals and trials. There is only one remaining - Victor, you may kiss your bride," Charles said to him with a smile.

Victor wasted no time in kissing her, and I chuckled in joy. I felt Klaus's arm wrap around my waist, and I looked at him for a moment, before leaning my head against his shoulder. Looking back at the newlyweds, I watched as they stared at each other then smiled gleefully before looking at everyone else. Victor gave me a look that told me it worked and thank God for letting that happen. Hayley and Victor walked back down the stairs and up the aisle to the courtyard. I followed them to the other balcony that overlooked the courtyard, as Klaus followed me. 

"It worked," I said to him.

"Did you doubt it would?" Klaus asked.

"What can I say? I got cold feet," I joked, and Klaus took my hand in his again. "You know we don't have to wait for a quiet moment to get married. We could always go to a courthouse and bring Elijah as our witness. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Don't you think I should buy you a ring first?" Klaus laughed as he pulled me closer to him. 

"If you'd like, but honestly, I don't really care...as long as I have you by the side in the end," I told him and pulled him into a soft kiss. 

When we pulled away, Klaus responded, "When all this commotion with my family is over with, and there are no more major threats to our children, I won't waste any time making you my wife." I grinned at him and pulled him into another kiss. 

~

Hayley and Victor were currently downstairs dancing together in the courtyard and other attendees of the wedding, while I stood in the nursery holding Cordelia to my chest. I stood next to Leo's crib as I watched him lying there peacefully. Erica went to join the vampires that had attended the wedding, while Cami went home and told me that she was only a call away if I ever needed a babysitter. I looked out the window and watched the parade as Cordelia began to wine a bit. 

The sound footsteps came from behind me, and I saw Klaus walking to the nursery, "I heard her crying," He explained as I turned to him. 

"She's teething," I told him, as he walked in and looked down into Leo's crib. Leo broke out into a smile and reached up towards his father. "I think he wants you to hold him."

"Really?" Klaus mockingly asked as he picked up our son. "And here I thought he was upset by my presence." I playfully rolled my eyes as Cordelia turned to her dad with a smile. 

"Both of them have been smiling and looking all around the place. I think they like it here. Feels like home," I said, and he smiled at us before I turned back to the window. The room was quiet, as each of us enjoyed the comfort of having our children in our arms. 

"What did Daniel tell you earlier?" Klaus asked, breaking the silence. 

"Something we talked about when I was pregnant, except he proved it to be fact," I told him. Then I explained how both of our children were witch-werewolf hybrids with the possibility of being tribrids, but that's if Daniel was right about them being part vampire. Once I was done, Klaus looked at both of our kids before walking towards me. He could tell I was worried, and I knew he was from the moment I finished talking. 

"We won't let anything happen to them," Klaus promised me.

"I know," I replied. "But now, even after we defeat Dahlia if she's even coming - which she probably is knowing our luck -" Klaus sighed and looked down at his shoes briefly. "Then we have to start worrying about the other people who will want them either as a power source, a weapon, or to simply die because they fear what they are."

"We will end anyone who dares to threaten them, Alexandria," Klaus promised. "I give you my word."

"And I give you mine that I will help you kill them all, without hesitation," I replied, and Klaus smirked. 

"Now, my queen," Klaus said. "Would you like to introduce our children to your pack?" I gave him a small smile then nodded in agreement.

~

Klaus and I walked down the steps to the courtyard, after we dressed Cordelia in a [little pink dress](https://www.macys.com/shop/product/rare-editions-baby-girls-sequin-lace-fit-flare-dress?ID=6827657&pla_country=US) and Leo into a small suit. I followed him to the front of the dance floor while holding our daughter, and him our son. "Ladies and gentlemen," I moved to stand next to him. "May I have your attention, please?" Charles looked at me, confused, and I gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I want to welcome you all. As you know, last spring, Alex and I had a pair of twins...one boy and one girl." Klaus glanced at us. "Due to tragic circumstances, they were lost. Now, they have returned home. Their names are Cordelia and Leo." The guests gasped and began to murmur amongst themselves at this revelation. 

"And they will live here among you," I began, knowing that the next few words would sound better coming from my mouth rather than Klaus's. "Their pack. Their family." I looked out to the crowd in front of us before looking at Victor and Hayley. "We beg you to protect our children. Teach them. Love them, as one of your own." The newlyweds gave me a small nod, and I smiled.

Klaus took a glass of champagne from a nearby tray. "Victor and Hayley, you are two of Alex's closest friends, so I invite you both to live here, uniting your proud and noble people in peace," Klaus told them, and I looked at him slightly surprised. Didn't expect you to do that. 

However, I turned to the couple and smiled. "Welcome to the family!" I exclaimed.

"To Victor and Hayley!" Klaus cheered, and the crowd repeated while holding their own glass up. 

~

A majority of the guests were leaving by now, so I was back upstairs with the kids. Klaus had told me that one) Kol was dying and wasn't going to survive the night, and two) I could now safely tell my brothers that their niece and nephew were alive. I offered to go with Elijah, Rebekah, and him to be by Kol's side, but he stopped me and told me to stay with the twins. 

I was lying on my bed after my call with Damon since I didn't want to wake up the kids while I talked to him. I had phoned to simply tell him that the twins were alive and to inform Stefan as well. Afterward, Damon told me some news that made my heart sink to my stomach, especially after the announcement of Kol's condition. 

Liz had stage four cancer. 

I twiddled with my necklace and didn't really know how to take the news. While I wasn't as close to Liz like Damon was, I considered her a good friend, and all I could think about was Caroline. I knew the fear and pain she was going through right now since I had gone through it myself. If I could spare her from it, I would've driven down to Mystic Falls in a heartbeat. Sadly I'm not a god, and I can't control the course of one's fate. 

Klaus came in. I spared him a brief glance while he shrugged off his coat and laid down beside me. After a few moments, he gently grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. "Davina and Henrik managed to link Kol's spirit to the ancestral realm, so they can consecrate him and possibly bring him back after Finn is dealt with," Klaus explained and paused for a moment. He must have been expecting me to comment on the situation, but all I did was continue to stare up at the ceiling. "Did you call your brothers?"

"...Yeah," I whispered, numbly. "Damon said he was glad about the twins not being dead, felt betrayed that I didn't tell him sooner, but said he would tell Stefan for me."

"That's good; however, I can't help but notice you're not happy," Klaus observed.

"Liz has stage four cancer," I informed him, and Klaus was silent for a second.

"I'm sorry to hear that, I know she's a friend of yours," He replied. 

I was silent for a few moments before I spoke up again. "I barely know her really, but I do know how close Caroline and she are…"

"And you can't imagine what she must be going through," Klaus finished, which caused me to look at him.

"But I can," I corrected. "I know the pain of having to watch your mother die from a disease you can't cure. Caroline tried. She fed her vampire blood, but that only sped up the process, and now Liz only has about a week to live." Klaus was silent, not knowing what to say to me. "I wish I could do something to help ease her pain."

"And I wish I knew the answer so you could," He said softly while turning to look at me. I didn’t meet his eyes, even when he shifted so I was more snuggled into his side before kissing the top of my head. 

Even on the happiest of days, something tragic always happens to those who don't deserve it.


	27. Chapter 26

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~The Next Day~

Elijah had just arrived at the compound, where he joined Klaus and [me](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/846113848732461342/) in the dining room. The older original moved out the day after the wedding, claiming that he wants to help Marcel tame his vampires. Personally, I called bullshit on that reason, and think it has more to do with him attacking me after his nightmare. Even though that sounds self-centered, it doesn't change how he only relaxes in a room with me if someone else is there. Like if he loses control and attacks me, he knows someone will be able to stop him. 

Right now, we were waiting in anticipation for this last-minute family brunch, while Erica was watching the children upstairs. I did call Cami to see if she could help Erica today since taking care of twins is a lot of work. However, Marcel has been looking over Vincent Griffith (the original owner of Finn’s host body) and asked Cami to talk to Vincent about his whole experience with Finn. I was fine with it since I trusted Erica alone with the kids; she is a good friend of Daniel’s and over the past four days the vampire has proven herself to be an ally. Plus if I get worried all I have to do is listen in upstairs. 

“There you are. Finally,” Klaus said to his older brother. Elijah stripped off his coat and hung it up before heading towards the table. We were using the brunch as a formal getting to know you for Freya, so we could decide if she can be trusted. 

“I was delayed,” Elijah explained. “Seems the witches want Rebekah, or at least the former owner of her new body, locked up again.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Has Niklaus not filled you in on Rebekah’s situation?” Elijah questioned. I leaned back in my seat while crossing my arms and looking at my partner. 

“No he hasn’t,” I answered and Klaus bowed his head before looking at both of us. 

“I will after today’s brunch. Our guest of honor will be here momentarily,” Klaus said and Elijah looked at him bemused.

“Strange, our house is conspicuously absent of our lupine guests. I do hope it wasn't on my account,” Elijah said and I laughed.

“I sent Hayley, Victor, and Charles off to spend the day with our pack, so they can practice with their new abilities. Which leaves me here with you two to decide whether we want to trust your long-lost elder sister,” I explained. Elijah stared at me for a moment before looking at Klaus, knowing this was more his idea than mine. 

“Niklaus may remind you again that Rebekah's situation has taken a turn. We may need Freya's assistance. So, whatever you're planning here with Alex? Don't,” Elijah warned and Klaus rolled his eyes.

“All we’re planning is a simple chat with a long-lost relative. Whether Alex has other intentions, is all her own doing.” I simply need to know if I can trust her. It’s not like I’m asking her to solve all my life problems. “You yourself said to hear her out,” Klaus replied. 

“And you yourself said that would be idiocy.” Elijah countered.

“And for all you know, Elijah, Klaus might be right to think that,” I told him. Elijah looked taken aback by this statement as he moved to the chair opposite of me. Don’t know why though, Klaus and I don’t argue over everything. “Look all I’m saying is we don’t know if we can trust her with Cordelia and Leo’s safety.” Elijah sat down while Klaus smirked at my words since I was siding with him. “All I know is there’s a slight chance Freya might have some information on the current threat to my daughter. If she’s proven truthful - and only truthful - then I’ll reconsider giving her your “she’s-family-and-we-should-automatically-trust-her” default setting.” 

“Speaking of her, I think I hear her now!” My fiancé exclaimed and looked up at the doorway. I turned and watched a tall long blonde hair lady walk into the dining room as Klaus walked up to greet her. “Sister! Well, come in, come in! Make yourself comfortable.” 

Freya looked slightly nervous as she glanced at all of us. She definitely looked like a Mikaelson. Same facial structure and posture. Maybe Elijah isn’t wrong about her being family, but that doesn’t mean we should trust her. Freya’s eyes caught something in the room before she picked up a small round artifact and examined it carefully in her hand. 

“This witch-hoop, it's Danish. Is this from when you all lived in Copenhagen in the 1500s?” Freya asked. 

“Quite the eye!” Klaus complimented her with a smile. 

“Forgive me - are we here to discuss family heirlooms, or do we have more pressing concerns?” Elijah asked impatiently, and I shot him a slight glare. 

“Please excuse Elijah’s lack of decorum. He's been in a foul mood lately,” I apologized to Freya.

“But, he is right. My lovely partner and I did ask you here, in the hopes that you would share some of Dahlia’s secrets,” Klaus budded in, and Freya looked away slightly disappointed. “So, without further ado, let's get to it.” 

We each took our seats. Klaus sat at the head, with Elijah on his left and me on his right. Freya sat next to Elijah as she cleared her throat. “The first thing you should know is that Dahlia is the most powerful witch I've ever seen. She craves more power still. Right now she is like me - limited to one year of life in a century. But, she wants to be free of that restriction. To gain true immortality. And that is why she will come here - drawn by your daughter...to take the child's power for herself. And she will kill anyone who would defy her,” Freya explained to us.

“And yet you would defy her,” Elijah commented.

“I don't have a choice. She will never let me be free. My one chance is to align with you and kill her,” She explained. Solid explanation. Oh, but how to prove she isn't lying? 

“Well, now that we're all suitably motivated, let's talk about specifics,” Klaus said. 

“For you to understand, I need to start from the beginning. After taking me from my family, Dahlia used me to forge a new brand of connective magic, one that augmented my power even as it allowed her to draw from me. Once we were bonded, Dahlia became unstoppable. She wasted no time proving her might. The chief of a nearby village threatened to run us off, accusing Dahlia of witchcraft. She decided to make an example out of the entire encampment - men, women, children. She killed them all with a wave of her hand. That was my first inkling of the power Dahlia had. Over the course of a thousand years, she's only grown stronger.” Freya elaborated, then turned towards Klaus and me. “And she will bring all her power to bear against you both when she comes for your daughter.”

I looked over at Klaus, to see his blank face although I knew he was worried like I was. We need all the help we can get, even if it means we double-cross Freya in the end. Not to mention the way she spoke gave me a small inkling that she might be telling the truth, but I wasn’t sure. Her story was interrupted by Elijah's phone ringing, and when he saw who it was, Elijah immediately turned to us.

“Excuse me,” Elijah apologized, then stepped out into the hallway and answered the call. Klaus sighed as he leaned back in his chair. 

“Who is he on the phone with?” Freya asked us.

“Rebekah, probably, who should have been here by now,” I answered and Freya nodded. Elijah came back moments later and sat back down. 

Klaus spoke up, “Your stories are fascinating, and Dahlia does indeed sound dreadful, but Elijah, Alex, and I have killed our fair share of evil witches.”

“Not like her,” Freya stated.

“What are her weaknesses?” I asked since no one else was getting to the point of this brunch. 

“She's paranoid. Obsessed with power,” Freya started listing off. My eyes drifted back over to my fiancé, and he rolled his eyes at me before I focused on Freya again. “She hungers constantly for what's been denied her, be it love, or revenge.” So basically Klaus then.

“Yes, I believe both Alex and myself are familiar with the type,” Elijah commented and looked over at his brother. He gave his little brother a knowing look, but Klaus just smirked in response. Is being power-hungry and paranoid a family trait for the Mikaelson, because I’m beginning to think it is. However, even if this tale turns out to be more, I don’t want to be a deer caught in headlights. Maybe I should figure out a way to give Klaus time to make a plan? Lord knows he’s good at making those types of plans. 

“When I was a child, she would tell me tales of her own youth, being victimized by those stronger than her. Dahlia vowed never to be weak again. She bargained for the firstborn of Esther's bloodline, intending to raise us in her own image, forming a coven of her own from which she could draw endless power. That plan was foiled the day she learned that Esther had ended her bloodline...by turning her children into vampires,” Freya continued and looked at Klaus, who was going to say something, but she kept talking. “And so the burden fell to me. Dahlia demanded that I bear the firstborn that would add to her power, but, I would not allow a child of mine to live as I did - as a slave.” 

Freya’s eyes filled with tears. “So, I vowed never to love. Never to have a child of my own.” She started to cry, and Elijah looked troubled. I still didn’t fully believe her, because this was such an easy tale to spin. Her pain seemed real, though, but I also felt like she was hiding something. “Of course, the more I resisted, the harder Dahlia fought to control me,” Freya explained. “'Til the day that she took the last of what little freedom I had left. And so we slept. Our magic accruing over time, until we woke...filled with immense power and allowed to live a single year of life. That has been the existence I've suffered for the last ten centuries.” Ok, I think we might need a plan for Freya  _ and _ Dahlia if they are both that powerful. 

Klaus began to laugh freely, and Freya shot him a glare. “Well, that's quite the ordeal, isn't it? But, it does beg the question - why not end it yourself?” Klaus asked. Elijah shook his head in dismay at Klaus' words and tried to stop him from talking, but Klaus being Klaus, continued on. Sweetheart, there’s a line and you’ve already crossed it...even if your question is a good one. “A high enough bridge, a tight enough noose? You must have considered it.” I would try to apologize for him, but what could I say? Freya closed her eyes and sighed in frustration before she continued her story. 

“Long ago, I did consider it. But, Dahlia would never give me even that freedom.” I was surprised by this answer and Klaus almost looked guilty for what he suggested. “I would later learn that the spell would make me like her - immortal and impervious to harm. So, you see, I am like you: a creature of great power, cursed for all time.” She said, then laughed bitterly and wiped the tears from her face. This only gives me more reasons to get my daughter out of harm's way while a plan is made. Thank you, Freya, because it’s going to take all the reasons you gave me to get Klaus to agree to this plan.


	28. Chapter 27

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Rebekah had made it back to the compound, hours later, and now we (not including Freya) were upstairs discussing what was going on. “It was this witch. Eva. The nocturnal cow is inside of me trying to bust her way out,” Rebekah explained as she paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. So this is what Klaus failed to tell me about! I was sitting on the couch with my arms crossed, as Klaus stood behind me.

“Freya is waiting downstairs. Perhaps we should-” Elijah began. 

“Have you lost your mind?” Klaus asked, cutting off his older brother. “Tell me we're not considering opening our sister's head to someone we barely know!” 

“Nik, for God's sake, she is our sister!” Rebekah exclaimed storming up to him. I took a sip of my whiskey as I let this family meeting play itself out. “I've known her since she saved me from the Fauline Cottage.” 

“In his defense that was fairly recent, and it could have been an act so that you would trust her without hesitation,” I spoke up and Rebekah whipped towards me.

“You’re taking his side now!” She shouted.

“I mean it’s not unreasonable,” I defended myself. 

“Alex is right -” Klaus began. 

“- Of course you would think that! She’s taking your side -” Rebekah scoffed. 

“- Freya could have done that to secure your trust! Perhaps for this very moment, to strike when we’re vulnerable!” Rebekah scowled at him, but he shook his head. “No! We've no way to prove that anything she’s said today is true...” Klaus reasoned as he moved to stand in front of the three of us, and saying half of my thoughts out loud. 

“Niklaus, I understand both your and Alex’s concern,” Elijah began. “But the three of us are powerless to help Rebekah.” I went to cut him off, but he looked at me and continued. “Before you say it, Henrik and Davina have done all they can.” I closed my mouth at that statement. “Now, either we leave her to suffer, or we place our faith in the hands of someone that I believe to be our blood. Right now. I'm inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to my family.” 

Klaus looked at me, as I refused to make eye contact with him. “You can’t be serious?” He asked me. Everyone watched as I drank the rest of my drink, before giving Klaus a bewildered look. 

“What?!” I asked. “I don’t want Rebekah to suffer, and if Elijah said, Henrik and Davina tried everything they could...asking for Freya’s help is our only option left. So I suggest you grab a drink and we sit this one out, ok?” Klaus clenched his jaw at my words and Elijah smirked, happy that I sided with them in the end.

“Wonderful,” The older original said before going downstairs to get Freya. 

~

Elijah had just brought Freya upstairs to the living room, where Rebekah, Klaus, and I are waiting for her. I had refilled my glass and was sitting next to Klaus at the bar. He had his back turned to the room while I stayed facing the room. Once Freya saw Rebekah, she immediately walked up to greet her. 

“Rebekah!” Freya said and smiled at her. I watched as Freya interacted with her, and it seemed to be heartfelt and kind. Why can’t this woman give me a good reason to kick her out of this house...or better yet double-cross her. Actually, I could double-cross her right now, but if Freya’s as powerful as she says, then I don’t want her to be my enemy. Rebekah stood up, and the two grabbed each other's hands. “It's good to see you again.”

“And you! Although I'd prefer better circumstances,” Rebekah replied. They sat down on the couch together, while Elijah stranded off to the opposite corner of the room.

“You needn't worry. Elijah explained the problem, and I can help,” Freya reassured her.

“Rather confident, aren't we?” Klaus mocked, and I sighed before taking another sip of my drink again. So much for staying out of it. Freya turned to look at us, partly amused, confused, and offended, but Klaus didn't even acknowledge her. She just scoffed and turned back to Rebekah. Alright, the girl has fire...one point to her. 

“The spirit of the host body is powerful, but I can cast a spell.” She brushed Rebekah's cheek with her hand. “Put you in a deep sleep, and then suppress this other essence. You'll be just fine,” Freya explained as my phone buzzed with an incoming call. The witch looked at me and I sent her an apologetic smile. 

“Sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me,” I told them before walking out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard. “What is it, Victor?” I asked him.

“ _ Get Klaus under control _ ,” He demanded. 

“What? Under control?” I asked him, confused. “Have you met the guy? I don’t think anyone can  _ control _ Klaus. I only have the luxury of him actually listening to my words every now and then.”

“ _ Look _ ,  _ Hayley _ ,  _ Charles, and I need space to run the pack as we see fit _ . _ Now don’t get me wrong _ ,  _ we will do whatever it takes to protect your children when the time comes _ .  _ The pack still sees you as one of its leaders _ . _ Klaus, however, needs to be made clear that we are not his personal army _ ,” Victor explained and I bowed my head.

“I’ll do my best to make him understand that, but the only way that’s ever going to happen is if Charles, Klaus, and you put all this tension in the past...and I’ll tell him the same,” I said.

“ _ I’ll try my best _ ,  _ but I can’t promise the same for your son _ .  _ Truth is he doesn’t think Klaus is the best for you. Sure he can see how happy Klaus makes you, but he doesn’t like the person you’re becoming. _ ” Victor explained.

“The person I’m becoming? What does that mean?” I asked him.

“ _ Personally, I have no idea. He says you’re becoming more angry and paranoid about everything, _ ” Victor explained.

“Do you think that?” 

“ _ No, I think Charles hasn’t adjusted to you being a vampire. I know you’re not paranoid; you just don’t trust people easily, which is understandable given our life. Then the anger is only heightened from when you were human, and since he only knew you for four years, he never really saw your anger. _ ” Victor explained.

“So basically I’m still me,” I said. 

“ _ Yup. _ ”

I was about to say something when I heard Rebekah shout, “NIK!”

“Hey, I have to go, but I’ll talk to Klaus about what you said,” I quickly told Victor before hanging up and going back into the living room. I paused when I saw Freya dead on the floor, then looked up at Klaus. “I leave you alone for only five minutes...I swear to god,” I muttered under my breath. 

“Right. Now we can have a proper family meeting,” Klaus stated.

“Was that absolutely necessary?” I asked him while pointing to Freya’s dead body. Klaus rolled his eyes and walked in front of the fireplace. 

“Oh, please, she was insufferable,” Klaus complained and I rolled my eyes. 

Elijah pointed at Klaus with anger and exasperation. “That was ridiculous, even for you!” Elijah exclaimed.

“I agree,” I said immediately afterward.

“Why? I know you trust her as much as I do,” Klaus argued with me and I shot him an annoyed look. “Not to mention you two,” Klaus gestured to Rebekah and Elijah. “Have only just met her! Let's not get sentimental. Besides, if she was telling the truth about being immortal, she'll awaken shortly. If she was lying, good riddance.” 

“Yes, and I’m sure when she wakes, she'll be willing to help Rebekah and tell us all about Dahlia with unbridled enthusiasm,” I replied, sarcastically, before sitting down on the couch with my arms crossed.

“She played both of you for fools!” Klaus exclaimed to Rebekah and Elijah. “Can you not see that? She spun a sad yarn about a small child taken by an evil witch, and you all fall over yourselves to mend what's broken!” 

“How can you be so certain?” Rebekah asked, annoyed at her brother.

“Simple - It's exactly what I'd do,” He answered. I leaned back and crossed one leg over the other as I scoffed. Elijah rolled his eyes at his brother’s reasoning, while Rebekah looked away from him. 

“Doesn’t change the fact that we could have used Freya, before we killed her,” I mentioned. 

Klaus shot me a look before speaking, “My only question now is, what's in it for her?”

“Well, whatever the truth may be, she's in no position to help us now,” Elijah stated while bending down and checking on Freya. 

“Well, then we should try Marcel. Perhaps he's had luck on his end?” Rebekah hoped and glared at Klaus furiously. “Surely he's put in a better effort.” Then she stormed out of the room, and after a moment, Elijah began to follow her. 

“You know I'm right, Elijah!” Klaus called out. Elijah stopped and turned back to his younger brother. I could tell he was fed up with Klaus’s attitude. “We can't have an alliance with someone we can't trust.”

“You don't trust her, and that is your choice. I only hope that choice comes from a place of reason... not fear,” Elijah said bluntly then left. Once I knew they were out of the compound I looked at Klaus.

“You idiot,” I grumbled and he turned to me. “Even if you didn’t trust her you could have used her desperation to gain your trust to get what we wanted. You possibly killed the only person who knows anything about Dahlia or did that casually slip your mind?!” 

“I can promise you that fact hasn’t slipped my mind,” Klaus replied.

“You sure about that? If she is telling the truth then you better work your ass off to earn her loyalty because I do not want her as our enemy!” I warned him then went to leave so I could go see the twins. “Oh and one more thing.” I stopped in the doorway and turned back to him. “My pack is  _ not _ your personal army.”

Klaus stared at me for a moment before he started laughing, “Sorry. Did you really think I would ever agree to let Victor and Hayley control the wolves?” He asked me. 

“No, I didn’t,” I told him. “However I did hope you would be smart enough to let me pull the strings from the shadows, so they don't turn against us once they get tired of being barked at like slaves.” Klaus looked at me surprised and raised his eyebrows in interest as I walked up to him. “So, my love, listen to me. If you have something you want them to do and if it has to do with our family... let me be the one to tell them.” Klaus gave me a sly grin and I could tell from the look in his eyes, that he agreed with me. I smiled and gave him a small kiss, before leaving to go check on the twins.


	29. Chapter 28

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Klaus turned towards me in his sleep and put his arm around my stomach. I looked at him and smiled at the peaceful look on his face. I wish we could have more moments like this. My phone broke me out of my thoughts when it buzzed beside me. I furrowed my eyebrows together, while I grabbed it without waking Klaus. Who could be texting me at two am? I let out a little gasp when I read Damon’s text.

“ _ Liz passed away _ ,” it read. I knew she had a limited amount of time, but I didn’t think it was that short, and now I knew I was never going to sleep. My brain was trying to think about how to get Klaus on board with me going to Mystic Falls, so I could pay my respects, and bring the twins with me. Then on how to get Caroline to let Klaus come to the funeral because I knew my love wasn’t going to let me go alone. 

I sat up and got out of the bed carefully so I wouldn’t wake Klaus up. Just on the off chance that he does agree, I should probably begin packing. Making my way to the bathroom I began to pack up some toiletries, and some of the toys I had brought in here for the kids. Once that was done I carefully walked out and placed the packed stuff on the floor next to my side of the bed. 

One of the twins began to cry a bit and I started to make my way over to them, pausing for a second when I smelt blood nearby. I opened the door that connected to our room quickly and saw Rebekah standing in between Leo and Cordelia’s cribs with her back to me. Then my eyes followed the scent of blood and I saw the dead werewolf guard laying on the floor at the other entrance of the nursery. Looking back at the witch in the room I put two and two together. 

Eva.

“Get away from them!” I shouted. 

I grabbed Eva by the arm, then shoved her against the dresser, and Eva fell to the floor. I looked at both of my children quickly to make sure they were unharmed, but before I could grab them, she telekinetically threw me back into my bedroom. My back slammed against the wall as I fell on the little nightstand near my side of the bed. Klaus looked over at me as I stood up, before speeding into the nursery. 

“Rebekah! What are you doing?!” Klaus asked her furiously.

He lunged for her, but Eva cast a pain infliction spell on him. I ran back in to take her out, but Eva cast a choking spell on me and I fell to my knees as she glared at us. Klaus forced himself to lean forward so he could claw a set of deep gashes into her thigh with his fingernails, which caused Eva to scream in pain and stop both spells. She sent one more wave of pain before jumping out of the window as Klaus and I got up off the floor to check on the twins. 

Leo and Cordelia were both crying from the recent action. Klaus and I shared a look before he grabbed Leo and I grabbed Cordelia. “Shhh, shh, mommy and daddy are here,” I whispered to her as I held her close to my chest. “You’re both ok, now. You’re safe.”

I looked towards the window before thinking to myself. I have to get them out of here. “Klaus,” I said as I turned to him. Leo was starting to calm down in his arms while I kept rubbing Cordelia’s back. 

“Yes, love?” Klaus asked, confused. Surely he could see the gears, in my head, turning. All I could think about was all the reasons why I had to get our children out of here. 

“Don’t get angry at me,” I stated calmly.

“Why would I get angry at you?” Mainly for what I’m about to suggest. 

“Because I think we should get Cordelia and Leo out of New Orleans. Tonight.” I expressed.

Klaus stared at me while a wall of silence grew between us, then in a strong steady voice he said, “No.”

“Hear me out -”

“No Alexandria. I’m not sending them away again,” Klaus stated and I noticed him pull Leo closer to him. 

“I don’t want to send them away; I want to get them out of town,” I explained.

“And where do you suggest we go?” Klaus asked.

“Not we, only me.” I saw Klaus starting to lose his temper and I quickly added, “Put Leo down. I don’t want to upset them again.” He looked down at his son before watching me walk over to Cordelia’s crib and put her down. She had fallen asleep a few seconds ago, and I didn’t want to wake her. Klaus put Leo down before I gestured to our room, and followed him in before closing the nursery door behind us.

“So you want to take my children from me,” Klaus said and I turned to him, hurt. 

“Is that truly why you think I’m doing this?” I asked as I walked up to him. I had to do everything in my power to keep him from yelling. I didn’t want to wake the kids. There was fear in his eyes, but I saw that he didn’t believe his words. I placed my hands on his shoulders before stating for the last time, “Klaus you are the only person in this entire city that I completely trust with our children’s safety. Surely you know that?”

“Then why did you suggest leaving with the twins?” Klaus questioned while placing his hands on my wrist. 

“A list of reasons,” I said and moved my hands to rest on his chest. “How we need time to make a plan for Freya if she turns on us or when Dahlia inevitably comes for Cordelia because that’s where the wind seems to be pointing.” Klaus bowed his head and I continued. “Then there’s the fact that Mikael is still on the loose and everything that happened tonight with Rebekah - or Eva - or whoever the fuck that was trying to hurt our little girl.”

He was silent as he thought about everything I just said before asking, “Why do you want to go without me?”. 

I carefully held his face in my hands before explaining, “I love you, and I would go anywhere in the world with you by my side, but if you come with us it’ll raise questions. Whereas if I slip out of town for a little while with the kids, the only people who will notice are Hayley, Victor, Charles, and your siblings. Then there’s also the hope that while we’re gone, you’ll come up with a plan against Dahlia, and a fail-safe for Freya. ” 

“Where would you go?” 

“Mystic Falls.” He was about to protest but I stopped him. “It won’t be for long. I just want to pay my respects to Liz; she passed away earlier tonight.” I explained. “After the funeral, if you have a plan made and Rebekah is all sorted, I’ll come back. If not, I’ll go to one of my safe houses. I bought quite a few while I was pregnant.” I explain with a small laugh at the end. 

Klaus stared straight at me and wrapped his arms around my waist, which caused me to adjust my arms so they went around my neck. “I know you would never take them from me, and I’m sorry I accused you of such a thing, but...if I’m being honest, my greatest fear is that one day you’ll only see me as a monster. That you’ll leave me and take them with you because I don’t know what I would do without you in my life.” He confessed and I was shocked by his words. “But I should have known you wouldn’t have suggested something like that without any reason.”

“So...you agree?” I asked.

“Yes, and you’re right. If this is going to work you need to leave tonight,” Klaus said.

I smiled and pulled him into a soft kiss, that told him how much I love him. “I will never leave you, Klaus, not without you knowing,” I promised him. “You’re stuck with me.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Klaus said with a small smile, then he kissed my forehead. “Go get the kids and yourself ready, I’ll pack your things.” 

“Thank you,” I said. 

“I’d do anything for you.”

“I know.”

~

The suitcases were in the trunk and Klaus was putting the twins in their car seat as [I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/125608277096222709/) called Damon. “Hey, Damon,” I said.

“ _ You coming? _ ” He asked.

“Leaving right now and I’m bringing the kids with me,” I said. “I’ll be there sometime tomorrow. Why?”

“ _ Caroline was asking _ ,” Damon said.

“How’s she doing?” I asked her.

“ _ She’s still in shock _ .  _ Everyone’s staying at the boarding house until after the funeral on Friday _ ,” Damon explained. Wow, the funeral was happening sooner than I thought. 

“How are you doing?” I asked him.

“ _ I’ll be ok _ ,” He answered. “ _ How did you get Klaus to let you come here with the kids anyway _ ?” Damon was changing the topic and I decided not to call him out on it over the phone.

“The usual,” I replied. “Pointed out all the reasons why I needed to get the twins out of New Orleans, and waited to see if he’d think of a better plan...which he didn’t.” Klaus walked in as I said that and rolled his eyes. 

“ _ You sure it’s safe to bring the twins here _ ?” He asked.

“I’m not going to stay long. Just for the funeral then I’ll go to one of my safe houses if the city still isn’t safe. Plus everyone I trust with them, who isn’t in Mystic Falls, is here in New Orleans.”

“ _ Yeah _ .  _ Fair point _ ,” Damon replied. “ _ Call me when you get here _ ,  _ or if you get bored while driving _ .”

I laughed, “Will do.”

“ _ Talk to you later _ ,” Damon said.

“Bye,” I replied before he hung up and looked up at Klaus.

“Call me when you get there,” Klaus stated and I nodded. 

“Of course, and I’ll text you when the funeral starts...so you don’t accidentally call me in the middle of it,” I said and he nodded. I watched him for a moment before pulling him into a hug. Klaus wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him. “I wish it was safe for you to come with us. I’d feel safer if you were with us.”

“You both know your friends don’t want me there,” Klaus replied. “Plus I have a plan to make according to a certain someone.” I chuckled as I pulled away. “Give Caroline my condolences. Her mother was a good woman.”

“I will,” I promised and brought him into a soft kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” He replied and gave me one more kiss before letting go of me so I could get in the car. Klaus stood in the garage and didn’t move until he was out of my sight as I drove away.

####  ~In Mystic Falls; the Following Night~

I pulled under the awning of the boarding house and saw Damon waiting outside. He walked over to my side of the car, as I parked and got out to greet him. The first thing we did was pull each other into a hug and when we pulled away he looked in the back seat of the car. I smiled before opening the door to be greeted with the twins looking up at us calmly.

“Wow,” Damon replied. “They’re perfect, Alex.” Damon moved to pick Cordelia up and held her on his waist. My daughter cooed up at him and he laughed in joy. “I think this might be the only thing Klaus has ever done right in his life.”

I laughed, “I think Elijah would agree with you.” I rubbed my daughter’s arm softly before patting Damon’s shoulder. “You take Cordelia in and I’ll get Leo. We can task Stefan with the bags.” 

Once I got Leo and the twins day bags, out of the car I walked into the boarding house behind Damon. Caroline, Matt, Tyler, and Elena were asleep in the living room. Stefan was sitting in a chair and turned to us when we came in. He smiled at the twins, then came up and gave me a side hug, which I returned. 

Both my brothers helped me get the twins set up in my room while I unpacked. They were very good with children despite what Klaus probably believes. Thinking of Klaus, I texted him that we were all settled in and I was laying on my bed. Stefan went back downstairs to be with Caroline and Damon went with him, leaving me to sleep. I was exhausted from traveling all day, not to mention the events of last night. I think the kids were as well because they fell asleep as soon as they were put in their cribs. 

Yet tomorrow was going to be an even longer day and I needed all my strength to get through it.


	30. Chapter 29

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  *Flashback 1855*

I was doing my best to cover up the black eye Father had given me for wearing the wrong hairstyle. Today I was burying my mother, already making this the worst day of my life. Father just wanted to make that clearer than it already was. Damon walked in and I glanced at him through the mirror. A chill ran through my spine when I noticed he was wearing our Father's tie. 

“Why are you wearing Father's tie?” I asked him, as I turned around in my seat before making my way up to him. “He will have you hanged for such an act.”

Damon grabbed my wrist to stop me as he spoke, “Stefan took it originally, so I gave him mine.”

“Then go put on another tie,” I insisted, before continuing to take it off. “I don’t wish to bury you in the ground as well.” My comment stopped me in my tracks. I hadn’t meant to say it and Damon’s frown told me I had hurt him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

“It’s ok,” Damon replied, as I tugged the cloth off of his neck. My brother took it from me as I bowed my head, before turning back to finish my makeup. Damon stopped me before I went too far and lifted my chin, before lightly grazing over the bruise on my face. “Did Father do this to you?”

“He said my hair wasn’t right, and when I asked how...he hit me,” I explained. “Father also said he’d do worse if I cried over Mother’s grave today. Claiming I was at fault for her passing.” 

“You are not the reason Mother died, Alexandria. Consumption is. Don’t let Father’s words get to you, because I know you would never wish this. None of us would.” Damon gave me a sad smile. “Cry if you please, just because Father is incapable of emotions, doesn’t mean you have to be,” Damon stated. I looked away in fear, but Damon made me look at him again. “I’ll be there to defend you against him, for eternity.” 

I gave him a small smile before pulling him into a hug, which I think he might have needed more than me. “How do we do this? Live our lives without her?” I asked him.

“I wish I knew,” Damon replied and his hold on me became tighter. It was only the three of us and the monster we call our Father, now, and this fact felt like a death sentence for us.

####  *Present Day*

Leo and Cordelia had woken up a little while ago. However, Cordelia was only crying because she needed a diaper change, whereas Leo was simply hungry. It made me really wish Klaus was here to help me. So once my daughter was calmly back in her crib, wide awake with the baby monitor camera beside her, I took her brother downstairs to feed him. It was six in the morning and the sun was starting to come up when I walked into the kitchen. The only light in the room was the fireplace and Damon sat beside it at the dining room table. He was trying to write something but seemed to only be surrounding himself with scrunched up balls of paper. 

My brother turned to me when I walked in and gave me a quick smile. “Where did Stefan put the baby bottles, again?” Damon pointed to the cabinets next to the fridge. “Thanks.” I began to heat some baby formula for my son when Leo began to whimper. “Shh, shh, I know. Food’s almost done.” I told him and checked on Cordelia through the app I had on my phone. She was teething on the little wooden knight her dad had given her. 

The kitchen door opened with a bang and I turned to see Caroline at the doorway of the kitchen. The sound scared my son, making him cry a bit louder, to which Caroline looked at me and apologized, “Sorry.”

“It’s ok, he’ll calm down once I get some food into him,” I said. “What are you doing up?”

“Just...um, water.” She replied and I nodded.

“Help yourself,” I said and the microwave went off. I took the formula out as Caroline poured some water into a glass next to me. She looked between me and Leo before asking, “Do you want me to hold him for you, while you test the milk?” 

I looked over at her. She shouldn’t have to help me, not when it was the day of her mother’s funeral, but the look in Caroline’s eyes told me she didn’t mind helping. “If it’s not too much trouble,” I responded. 

Caroline put her glass down and took Leo out of my arms. The smile she gave my son was a sad one and I knew it had nothing to do with him. I tested the milk, then took this moment to get a little jar of baby food from the fridge and a spoon. Caroline handed Leo back to me and I moved over to sit next to Damon at the dining table, after putting my son in his highchair. The second the bottle was in his mouth, he grabbed a hold of his sippy cup and drank it happily. I smiled at the action before checking on his sister again. Stefan had walked into the room and was now holding his niece while talking to her as he paced around my room. Guess he saw her while going up to his room.

Damon ripped off another piece of paper and crushed it into a ball, before adding it to his growing collection. “What are you not writing?” Caroline asked him while leaning against the sink facing us. 

“Would you believe your mother entrusted me to write her eulogy for her?” Damon asked. 

“That’s...nice, I guess,” Caroline commented and took a sip of her water.

“I think she’s trying to teach me a lesson about my own mom,” Damon thought aloud and I looked down at the table. “I was supposed to do the eulogy at her funeral, and I-”

“We don’t have to share,” Caroline cut him off. Damon and I looked at each other before he bowed his head a bit. 

“Right,” Damon replied. 

Caroline bowed her head as well before saying, “I just mean...today is pretty much gonna be the worst day of my life. I’m not sure I need to start it off by bonding with you. No offense.”

“None taken,” Damon told her.

“Great,” She muttered and looked at me. “Thanks for the water.” Before making her way out of the kitchen. 

Right before she left my sight I spoke up, “Hey, Care.” She stopped and turned around to me. “Today isn’t the worst day of your life. Today and tomorrow will be the easiest thing in the world because you’ll be surrounded by people who care about you since they’re too afraid to leave you alone. The worst day? That’s next week when normal life resumes and there's just silence.” Damon and I shared a look before I glanced at her again. “Just a heads-up.” 

Caroline swallowed a lump in her throat before saying, “Appreciate the tip.” Then left the kitchen. 

“Sure,” I whispered before a certain silence fell over the room. 

Damon began to tap his pen on the notebook in front of him, while Leo placed his empty bottle on the little table in front of him. The sound snapped me out of my trance before I looked at his little smile. Leo started burping on his own, and I observed him in case he became fussy. Once he was done, I started to feed him the little jar of applesauce which he accepted greatly as Stefan walked in with Cordelia. 

She was whimpering slightly and I sighed. I knew I should have brought her down with me. I put the jar down on the dining table and walked over to the kitchen to make another baby bottle, which Stefan took as his cue to place Cordelia in the other highchair next to her brother. 

“How’s Klaus?” Stefan asked, attempting to make small talk when he walked over to me. I was surprised by the question because I didn’t think he’d ask it. I leaned against the counter as he started to make a pot of coffee. 

“The same as usual. Mind you, we are a tiny bit more stressed now that his long-lost older sister, Freya, has come into the picture,” I explained and Damon turned around to us.

“How many siblings does the man have?” Damon asked.

“I  _ honestly _ think this is the last one,” I answered, then took the formula out of the microwave. I walked back over to my kids and handed Cordelia her bottle, before going back to feeding Leo his applesauce.

“Anything else we should know?” Stefan asked as he sat across from me before putting a mug in front of me.

“Well, Esther sold Freya and the firstborn of each generation to her older sister, Dahlia, to be fertile. The sad thing is we have no proof that she’s coming for Cordelia, other than what Finn and Freya have said, and they are the last two people I trust...Although I’d be stupid to ignore the warning,” I explained. 

“Ok, again I’ll ask: How did you manage to convince Klaus to let you come here if all of that is going on?” Damon asked me again, having completely stopped writing Liz’s eulogy. I looked at them and Stefan seemed concerned, while Damon was looking between the kids and me protectively. 

“Klaus needs time to make a plan and he knew I was right when I told him that,” I answered. “Also, while I hate to say it, Liz’s passing allowed me to get the children out of New Orleans. Not to mention he needs to decide whether Freya can be trusted, fix Rebekah, and find Mikael.”

“Mikael’s on the loose again,” Stefan repeated.

“Yup, and you can thank Freya for that one since she stupidly trusts him because he’s her beloved father,” I said. 

“I don’t like her,” Damon replied, while Stefan nodded slightly in agreement and I chuckled a bit.

“Welcome to the club,” I stated. “But on top of all of that, my kids - according to Daniel - are vampire-witch-werewolf tribrids.”

“Wait. What?” Stefan asked, confused. 

“Don’t worry, I don’t think it’s true. They might be a hybrid of a witch and a werewolf, but I doubt the vampire part completely.” I explained.

“But,” Damon added and I looked at him.

“But maybe some of the things Daniel said could mean they might be all three. Sadly, we’ll never know until they’re older, plus I don’t want to think of what that means for them.” I elaborated.

“I mean, he might be right Alex,” Damon said and I glared at him. “I’m sure Daniel had his reasons, but their birth isn’t natural. Plus normal genetics would suggest that it’s more likely they would be a vampire-werewolf combination, than a witch-werewolf one because you guys are both hybrids and only Klaus has the witch gene.” 

“One, we a hundred percent know they are both witches, and two, I’m not having this argument again,” I stated. “My babies are living and breathing-”

“What if it’s dormant?” Stefan asked. I looked over at Stefan in confusion. “Like the full vampire gene is dormant but some of the abilities come through. What were the things Daniel tied to them being part vampire?” 

Stefan had brought up an idea I could fight, supernatural genes can do that. Witch genes tend to only come out little by little until the child realizes what’s going on. Then the werewolf gene is dormant until you kill someone, but those with it can be affected by certain magic or they are always angry on a full moon. So why couldn’t a vampire gene do the same? 

“They were playing around and caused something to fall, and got a small cut on each of them. Daniel and Elijah cleaned them up, but about thirty minutes later they were all healed. That could be because of their werewolf gene but-”

“They haven’t activated it, and we all know you don’t get the super-healing out of that gene unless it’s activated,” Damon finished and I nodded. 

Stefan thought about something before speaking, “If they’re part vampire, do you think - like Klaus and you - their blood could-”

“No!” I snapped. 

“Alex-”

“No, I won’t accept that my babies' blood could turn someone into us,” I told them.

“Just because you won’t accept it, doesn’t make it any less true,” Damon said and I looked at him, while Stefan looked down. “You need to test it.”

I dropped my voice so no one, supernatural or human could hear us. “You’re telling me you randomly want to turn four people with my possible vampire babies' blood?! Have you forgotten what happened with Viki?” 

“Of course I remember,” Damon answered.

“Then why would you suggest it?” I snapped.

“Because it’s the only way we could know. Not to mention we would only take the minimum amount needed to turn someone, not a pint or anything.” Damon explained.

“As much as I hate to agree, it would be the only way to find out Alex.” Stefan agreed and I looked at them shocked. This is what Klaus must feel like every time I side with his siblings. 

“Plus now that we’ve suggested it, it's only going to nag in the back of your head until you do it,” Damon mentioned and I glared at him before Cordelia started to fuss. I turned and noticed she needed to be burped, then picked her up and began to without dropping my argument with them. Then Elena walked and I quickly shot a look at both my brothers saying this wasn’t over. 

“Oh, uh...hi Alex,” She said to me. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“Got in last night,” I replied. 

“Right, um...Caroline wants us in the parlor room,” Elena announced then made her way over to me, and got a better look at the twins. I observed her, and she noticed my demeanor. “Sorry. It’s just...surprising to see them. Damon and Stefan told us they were dead.”

“Oh, yeah.” I adjusted Cordelia on my hip, once she stopped burping. “Klaus and I lied so we could keep them safe,” I explained.

“Which is a term you should use more loosely,” Damon added on and I glared at him in annoyance. 

“They’re safe enough to be in my arms again,” I stated, then looked back at Elena. She seemed to be in awe of them now. Elena looked up and smiled at me. 

“She looks like you,” Elena complimented and I was taken aback by her kindness since we normally didn’t get along. I nodded and looked down at my daughter with a smile. 

“Thank you,” I said. “But I personally think she has her dad’s eyes.” 

Elena chuckled a bit before rubbing my daughter's arm softly. Cordelia didn’t seem to mind her much, and I took this as a good sign even though I still didn’t like Elena completely. However, I couldn’t help but notice how much she had matured since the last time I saw her. She seemed to be growing into an independent woman now and I was glad because that was exactly the kind of girl Damon needs in his life. 

When she left I sat down with my daughter in my lap before looking at my brothers again. “No.” I quickly said.

“Come on,” Damon said.

“Why are you two so adamant to have this proven?” I asked him.

“For the same reason, you don’t want it proven. Because once it is, it means you can be prepared for anyone who tries to use your kids for their blood and how to prepare your kids for having that ability,” Damon explained and I stared at him. He was right. I knew he was.

“Look, we don’t have to do anything immediately, and you can talk it over with Klaus before you do anything because it’s a decision you need to make together,” Stefan assured me. “However you need to do it before you leave because who knows when you’re going to get another chance?” I looked between them before looking at my children. I hated the idea of this being true, but I couldn’t deny my brothers were making a good point.

“Let me talk to Klaus,” I told them. “I’ll let you know, and hopefully we can get this tested and done before anything else major happens in our life. First let’s get Caroline through today, ok? And I’ll talk to Klaus when I have time.” 

“Alright,” Stefan said and Damon nodded in agreement. “Oh and just in case we’re right all I have to say is don’t let Kai anywhere near them if they radiate that much power.” Then my little brother left the kitchen and I looked at Damon confused. 

“Kai? I thought he was trapped in a prison world,” I questioned.

“He found a way out and left Bonnie in there, but we managed to show Bonnie a way out so now we’re waiting for her to come back,” Damon explained quickly. “And Kai left town, but we won’t let him near them if he comes back...so don’t worry.” Then my older brother left the kitchen as well and I stared at the kitchen door for a while. What the hell am I supposed to do with that information?!


	31. Chapter 30

###  Alex’s P.O.V

I was sitting on the ground while the kids played with their toys and Caroline talked to us. My mind was still thinking over my conversation with my brothers. They had a point, yes, and did their point still meant my children were alive, yes. But I knew I shouldn’t do anything without Klaus having a say. I didn’t want to. Now whether that was because I didn’t want to find out the truth, or deal with one of his outburst if I didn’t include him, I didn’t know. Behind me, Tyler sat on the couch. He kept glancing over at my kids and it didn’t sit with me right, which is why I place myself in between them. Matt sat on the armchair where Elena was sitting and my brothers stood behind the couch. 

Caroline was standing in front of us as she spoke, “You’ve all asked what you can do to help. There is five days’ worth of projects here.” Caroline showed us the list in her hand. “We are going to do them in one. We can break the rules and cut through the red tape.” I watched her in concern, while Leo rocked back and forth on his hands and knees in the corner of my eye. “Yeah. I expect my mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day.” She was hiding her pain behind a fake smile as she talked to us cheerfully.

“Sure, Care. Whatever you need,” Matt told her, and we all nodded when he looked at us. 

“Elena,” Caroline said while looking at her. “You’re coming with me.”

“Where are we going?” Elena asked. 

“Casket shopping,” Caroline replied with a smile, before looking at everyone again. “Let’s move.” She then made her way to leave with Elena and handed the list over to Stefan. Damon came over and bent down next to me as my full attention went back on my kids. 

“I can compel a babysitter to watch them while the funeral is going on,” Damon offered and I looked at him.

“Thank you for the offer, brother, but I really don’t trust anyone with them. Since we’re all going to the funeral; they’re coming with me. Then I’ll just stay at the back of the church in case they get fussy and I have to leave the room,” I explained and Damon nodded.

“Ok, but let me know if you change your mind,” Damon said.

“I will,” I told him and he stood up again before going upstairs.

####  *Flashback 1855*

Stefan and I were standing above Mother's grave. Damon hadn’t shown up at the funeral to give his eulogy as he promised. Stefan was holding onto my side and my arm was wrapped around his shoulders. I managed not to cry throughout the ceremony, but I knew once I got home and the silence sat in that I would break. A few moments later Damon walked up to her grave with a bottle of whiskey in hand. 

“You missed your speech,” Stefan said as if he had no emotion, and I looked up at my older brother ashamed. 

“I know,” Damon said, unable to say anything else.

“Why?” Stefan asked.

“I did not know what to say,” Damon answered honestly. Stefan started to cry and looked up at our brother while I looked away from him. 

“You could have just said goodbye,” Stefan cried. I rubbed his arm in an attempt to comfort him when he turned and hid his face in my stomach. Damon looked at us guilty because he knew there was nothing he could do to make up for it. 

####  *Present Day*

I paced around downstairs, while the kids took a nap before the funeral. I was trying to reach Klaus and it took two tries before he answered. “ _ Yes, love _ ?” Klaus asked. “ _ Are you alright _ ?”

“We’re fine, don’t worry,” I told him. “But I need to run something by you.”

“ _ Ok _ ?”

“You remember when I explained Daniel’s tribrid theory to you?” I asked.

“ _ Yes _ ,” Klaus answered.

“Well, I was catching Damon and Stefan up on all the shit that’s happened since my birthday and told them his theory. Shockingly, they had a theory of their own. Along with reasons to back it up and make me second guess my dismissal of the possibility.” I explained to him.

“ _ What was it _ ?” Klaus asked.

“That the vampire gene is simply dormant until they activate it, like the werewolf gene, and this lines up with everything Daniel said,” I told him.

“ _ So what _ ?  _ Because it’s dormant they can only heal themselves _ ,” Klaus pondered.

“It could be one of the abilities that you get before you activate it, like how werewolves get angrier than normal around a full moon before activating their gene or how witches have visions before fully unlocking their power,” I elaborated.

“ _ You said could be one _ ,  _ meaning you think there might be others _ ,” Klaus stated and I sighed.

“And that’s why I called you. Damon and Stefan want to test both of the babies' blood to see if it can complete transition for people. If they do this they’re going to need to turn two regular people and two werewolves. Then we’ll decide whether to kill them afterward or not.” I explained.

“ _ Do you think it’s possible _ ?” Klaus asked. 

“I don’t know, but now I have three people telling me the same thing, and I won’t know or believe it unless we test it out,” I explained. “They pointed out it was more likely our kids would be a vampire-werewolf hybrid more than even having a witch gene because they have parents who are hybrids and you’re the only one with the witch gene.”

There was a moment of silence while Klaus thought over everything I said. “ _ What do you want to do, sweetheart _ ?” 

“Honestly, I want to test it. It would ease my worries if it doesn’t work; then if it does work we can prepare to tell them the weight of this ability,” I answered.

“ _ Then test it _ .  _ I’m ok with it if you are _ ,” Klaus said. 

“Really?” 

“ _ Power is power, darling _ .  _ The more for our family, the better _ .” He responded and I felt a familiar shiver go down my spine.

“Klaus, I know you wouldn’t do this...but you need to promise me that if their blood can turn people into hybrids, you won’t use them for your own gain,” I said carefully.

“ _ Honestly I’m hurt that you thought that _ ,” Klaus answered.

“Well, you did take Stefan and me on a summer road trip to make a hybrid army, then almost drained Elena to make more,” I explained and I heard him sigh on the other end.

“ _ These are my children, I wouldn’t do that _ .  _ But if it makes you feel any better, then you have my word that I won’t use our children’s blood to make a hybrid army _ ,” Klaus promised and I let out a sigh of relief. 

“Alright, I’ll figure it out with my brothers and call you with the results,” I said, before putting him on speaker and texting Damon that I was down to test my kids' blood. “Anyways how's your end of things going?”

“ _ Still looking for a way around using Freya _ ,” Klaus said and I sighed, before sitting on the couch. 

“Suck it up, and use her Klaus,” I told him. “Once you get your sister back we can go back to not trusting her.” Damon texted me back saying he’d get two people, but it’d take longer to get the wolves. Damn it.

“ _ If she does the spell that’s needed she’ll have access to my mind, love _ ,” Klaus explained and I paused. 

“Oh,” I said. “Then I don’t know what to say, Klaus. It seems like letting her help or letting Rebekah suffer are you’re only options. And I only know what I would do.”

“ _ What would you do _ ?”

“I would let her in if it meant my sibling lived...if it meant you lived.” I explained.

“ _ Got to be honest, I didn’t expect you to say that _ ,” He confessed and I laughed. “ _ I think I need to think it over _ .”

“I agree, but I know you’ll do the right thing,” I told him. “But do you know where I could find two werewolves?” I heard his laughter coming through the phone and it made me break into a giggle too.

“ _ I’ll call some of my contacts and give them Damon’s number _ ,” Klaus said. “ _ I love you _ .”

“I love you too,” I said before he hung up. 

~

I was [dressed](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ARn2qcjdRw9HTNs6GAxS9nnvpuQJd6gXscuXcndKxVXu7tj5_8TTC2Y/) and helping Cordelia into her [black dress](https://www.sophiasstyle.com/sweet-kids-baby-girls-black-full-pleated-satin-bow-flower-girl-dress-6-24m.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3s_4BRDPARIsAJsyoLNNR9KJ8s10LTA9B_VoFbSPmV1u06h4VLttE9toYJD3NxPTIvIKY8caAvOXEALw_wcB). Leo was already in his carrier, dressed in his [little suit](https://www.amazon.com/FEESHOW-Gentleman-Wedding-Formal-Tuxedo/dp/B01F0PMELW) which made him look adorable. My son was sucking on his pacifier when Stefan walked into my room. He smiled as he came up to us and I put a black flower headband on my daughter. 

“So Klaus is getting the werewolves for tonight?” Stefan asked and I nodded. “Doesn’t it worry you that he can do this at a drop of a hat?”

“Nope! Sometimes the world being afraid of him comes in handy. Plus he has more contacts than us since he’s eight times our age,” I said with a shrug. My little brother and I shared a look before we both laughed. “I know he’s an original, but wow, I don’t think I ever really thought about his age.”

“I doubt anyone like us does,” Stefan responded. My brother paused for a moment and looked me over with a smile. “It’s good to see you like this.”

“Like what?”

“Happy. I thought you’d be caught up thinking...you know…” Stefan began to trail off but I knew what he was trying to say. 

“Thinking about mom?” I asked him and he nodded. “I am. Now and then, when I have a moment to think, my mind wanders to her.”

“You sure you don’t need any help during the funeral, because I can sit in the back with you if you want,” Stefan offered and I picked my daughter up before getting her settled in her carrier. I turned to him once I was done and shook my head.

“No need. What you can do is help me put them in the car and hope that Damon finishes his eulogy,” I told him. “But only after you tell me why you really came in here,” Stefan smirked, not shocked that I saw right through his kind gesture. 

“Ok, I need your advice because I don’t want to deal with Damon being a dick,” Stefan confessed.

“I’m all ears,” I said, very amused by his reasoning. 

“All right, look. Something happened between Caroline and me,” Stefan began and I smiled.

“Ooh, good. I approve of her,” I immediately commented.

“And then her mom died and I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about it…and I don’t know the best way to handle it,” Stefan explained. 

“Oh,” I said. “Well, how do you feel about her?”

“That’s the problem, I’m not sure,” Stefan confessed.

“Stefan, you’ve been in love twice in your life, even though they looked the same, and you know what it feels like. Does it feel like that?” I asked him. Stefan stared at me, thinking to himself, before bowing his head and scratching the back of it. His hesitation gave me the sense that he didn’t think it felt the same and my heart sank a bit. I was silent for a moment longer before continuing, “While I approve of Caroline, sadly not all love is equal. However, I do know her well enough to say she would want the real deal. If you don’t think you can give her that, then pull the ripcord before you make things worse...Just not today. Let her have today.” Stefan nodded before he grabbed one of the carriers. I grabbed my purse and the other carrier before we made our way down to the car. 


	32. Chapter 31

### Alex’s P.O.V

#### ~At the Church~

I sat in the back of the church with the twins. Cordelia had fallen asleep in the car ride here and Leo was calmly looking around at what he could see. Damon, Stefan, Elena, and Matt sat in front of the booth with Caroline. There was a casket viewing a few minutes before the actual funeral and I paid my respects to Liz. It broke my heart after I sat back down with my kids. She would have loved to meet them. 

The priest walked up to the podium and began to speak. “We are here today to pay our tribute and our respect..to a pillar of our community. Our sister, our protector...Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. We are also here today to show our love and support...for Liz's family and friends. Not only have we sensed our own personal feeling of loss…over her passing...” A tear fell down my cheek as I started to fade out the rest of his words. 

Once he walked away off the altar, the police force members stood up from their seats and walked up to honor Sheriff Forbes. They placed an American flag over her casket before the head officer stood behind the casket and clicked his radio. “Calling Sheriff Forbes.” He clicked it again. “This is the last call for Sheriff Forbes.” He placed his hands down and looked at the casket. “No response. Radio Number 2-6 is out of service after twelve years and four months of police service. Gone, but never forgotten,” The officer said and turned around. “Center!” The police force members then returned to their seats.

Damon then made his way up to the podium, and he looked at the crowd before he began his eulogy. “Liz Forbes was my friend. In her last moments, she asked me to pass along a message to her daughter, but I cut her off before she would say too much. I told her she could tell Caroline herself, but she didn’t get that chance.” Damon looked over to Caroline as he continued. “Your mom wanted you to know how proud of you she was, and she should be. You’re a beautiful, strong woman...a generous friend...and a bright light in seas of dark. She said you were extraordinary, and you are. And so was she.” Damon looked back up to the crowd, and I smiled at him proudly. “Liz was a hero to this town. She was a hero to all of you. And she was a hero to me.” Damon looked to the casket next to him. “Goodbye, Sheriff. You _will_ be missed.”

Damon sat back down next to me and Caroline walked up. “Thank you all for coming,” Caroline said to us. “This is for my mom.” She took a deep breath and began to sing. “Go in peace. Go in kindness. Go in love. Go in faith. Leave the day. The day behind us. The day is done. Go in grace. Let us go-o-o into the dark. Not afraid. Not alone. Let us hope...by some good pleasure. Safely to-o arrive at home.”

#### ~At the Grill~

I walked into the grill and up to Caroline in line, as she greeted the other people from the funeral. We hugged her and I whispered, “I’m so sorry, Caroline.” 

“Thank you, Alex,” Caroline said and we pulled away. 

I looked around the Grill and saw Damon sitting in a booth nearby. My older brother was drinking a bottle of bourbon, and I walked over to the side across from him then sat down. Cordelia’s carrier was on the table while Leo was in the booth with me. Leo was getting a bit fussy so I took him out of the carrier and sat him on my lap. Damon smiled and let his niece take a hold of his finger, before flashing a smirk my way.

“You sure I can’t be a godfather to one of them?” Damon asked and I chuckled.

“Sadly if we do that, then we have to either pick between Elijah and Stefan for the other one, and we both know who Klaus will choose,” I told him.

“Sucks for Elijah then,” Stefan joked as he sat next to our brother. Damon put his glass down and took Cordelia out of her carrier. Both of the twins were looking around curiously at their uncles with a smile. 

“I think they like you two,” I told them. 

“I should hope so since we’re going to be their favorite uncles,” Damon replied. “Aren’t we, littlest Mikaelson?” He asked my daughter in a sweet voice, and she cooed at him excitedly, which caused me to laugh.

“You know you’re both surprisingly really good with children,” I complimented. “You should visit them in New Orleans more often. I’m sure they’d like it.”

“But would Klaus?” Stefan asked in response.

“I can handle Klaus,” I answered as Leo reached for the salt and pepper shaker on the table curiously. “Are we ready for later?”

“Yeah, Klaus’s contacts work fast,” Damon told me. “There’s a warehouse a mile out of town where our test subjects are waiting.” 

“Good. Also nice speech, by the way.” I complimented him. 

“Thanks,” Damon replied.

“What broke the writer’s block?” Stefan asked. 

“I just needed to be reminded that the goodbye wasn’t about me,” Damon answered and looked at us quickly before turning back to my daughter who was playing with his tie. “I failed you guys by not doing the eulogy at our mother’s funeral.” Stefan and I gave him a surprised look. “I didn’t want to fail anyone today.” 

We looked at our brother, not sure what to say to him. Stefan sighed and sat back in the booth, then looked at me. “I think you were wrong,” He said and I looked at him confused. “About Caroline. I realize that I may not be able to explain what I feel for her...but it is something. And yeah, maybe all love isn’t true love...in the messed-up way that the three of us have experienced it, but…” Stefan sighed. “I think this could turn into something even better.”

I gave him a small smile and said, “Well, then, little brother, stop wasting your time sitting here with us.” Stefan smiled and glanced down for a moment. “I think, if anything, Caroline could use a piece of news like that today.” Stefan nodded and saw the encouraging smirk that Damon was sending his way, then got up and left. 

I looked back to Damon and sighed, “Also,” I began to say to him. “Just because you didn’t say the eulogy at Mother’s funeral doesn’t mean you failed me. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

Damon gave me a tight-lipped smile before standing up and putting Cordelia in her carrier. “Let’s go get this over with,” My brother said.

#### ~At the Warehouse~

I decided to take charge of turning them. Damon was in the car with the twins while I handled the newbie vamps; especially since there were possible hybrids to come. According to the men Klaus sent, they were to stay with me in case I needed help with the two werewolves. The other two subjects were human, and all four of them were already in transition. All I had to do was feed them my kids' blood. I had two test tubes with pink caps filled with Cordelia's blood, and two with blue caps filled with Leo's.

I did the two regular humans first and tested one for each of my kids' blood. They both transitioned. When I walked back into the hall with my blood-covered arm, I had to lean against the wall in shock. It worked. I don’t want this for them. I rolled my shoulders back before going through the same process with the wolves. Please don’t work...please. Give me one less thing to worry about. 

Damn it.

I walked out of the warehouse after using the bathroom to wipe off the blood on my arm. I’d be lying if I didn’t let out some of my anger when I killed them. Getting in the car, I had one last question running through my head. If that worked, could their blood heal werewolf bites? 

“Alex?” Damon asked and I looked at him. 

“It worked. They all transition without a problem or bleeding eyes,” I answered. “God! This is the last thing I ever wanted for them!” 

Damon placed his hand on my arm and calmed me down, “But at least you know now.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I said with my mind still on the other question. 

“What is it?”

“Can their blood cure werewolf bites like Klaus and me?” I asked. 

“You know if you wanted to test this you should have kept the human vamps alive,” Damon said and I nodded.

“Yeah, but it didn’t accrue to me till now.”

“Let’s test that later, ok?” Damon asked. 

“I don’t want to do it now anyway. I already took two tubes from them.” I agreed.

“We’ll give them a day and then if you still want to, we’ll test it,” Damon said. “I’m not that scared since you can heal me if it fails.”

“You want to be the subject?” 

“Well I don’t want you to use Elena,” Damon said. “And unless you’re willing to use Stefan-”

“You make a good point.” 

#### ~At the Boarding House~

Once I put Leo and Cordelia down for the night, I walked back downstairs to see Bonnie and Damon walking into the parlor room. Bonnie smiled when she saw me and I returned the gesture. “Glad to see you made it back,” I told her. 

“Glad to be back,” Bonnie responded. 

Damon and Bonnie sat on the couch, while I sat on the chair next to them. Bonnie began to tell Damon about how she traveled to a 1903 prison world. She then handed a foldable picture frame that could hold three pictures. I moved next to Damon to look at it and saw that the three photos were of Damon, Stefan, and me. Each of them being portrait shots. Bonnie could have only gotten this from our house, there was no other place it would be. 

“So you were in our house in a 1903 prison world?” I asked her, then Bonnie took out a video camera. 

“Watch this. I didn’t know it was still on when I got pulled out,” Bonnie said and we watched the video. The video looked like it was a bunch of walls. 

“Congratulations. You shot some walls,” Damon said mockingly, and Bonnie glared at him. 

“Just wait,” She said and I saw a lady on the camera.

“ _Who are you_?” She asked, then Bonnie - on the film - asked her the same thing. 

“There stop.” Bonnie quickly said and Damon paused the video. I looked at the frame in disbelief and took the recorder out of Damon’s hand for a better look. 

“Oh, my god,” Damon said in surprise. He was frozen in shock while I continued to stare at the lady. How is this possible? She died. I know she did. 

“What?” Bonnie asked us.

“That’s our mom.”


	33. Chapter 32

###  Alex’s P.O.V

[I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/666180969871554014/) had just changed both the twins' diapers and were putting them in their play crib. Stefan told Damon and me that Caroline had turned off her humanity, and I can’t say I blame her. We all do it at some point. However knowing my brother, Elena, and Bonnie; they’ll do everything in their power to turn it back on. My phone rang and I answered it when I saw Klaus’s caller I.D.

“ _ Hello love _ ,” Klaus said. “ _ How’d everything go last night _ ?”

“They went perfectly,” I said sadly.

“ _ I’ll take it, they turned, from the sound of your tone _ ,” Klaus stated.

“I don’t want this for them. I just want them to have a normal life,” I stated.

“ _ Sweetheart _ ,  _ their life was never going to be completely normal _ .  _ But at least we know _ .”

“You sound like Damon. Anyways, how’s New Orleans?” I asked him.

“ _ Safe again _ ,” I hummed in disbelief as I folded up Leo’s blanket. “ _ Freya can’t be trusted, but I’m keeping her on a tight leash _ .  _ Eva is dead and Rebekah is in full control of her new witch body _ ,” Klaus explained. 

“What about Mikael?” I asked him.

“ _ Out of town for now _ .”

“And Esther?” 

“ _ Dead _ .  _ Freya killed her last night and I’ve also got the beginnings for a plan against Dahlia _ ,” Klaus responded and I sighed. “ _ So when are you coming home today _ ?” 

“I’m not,” I quickly answered. 

“ _ And why’s that _ ?” Klaus asked with a hint of anger.

“Because I’m now having family problems of my own,” I sighed.

“ _ Then have your brothers deal with it and keep you updated from here _ ,” Klaus suggested.

“I can’t. Stefan is in charge of an emotionless Caroline along with Elena and Bonnie as his sidekicks. Then Damon and I have to look into the very slim possibility that  _ my _ mother might be alive in a 1903 prison world. Although we won’t know if Kai is telling the truth about it being possible, until we dig up her grave for confirmation,” I explained to him.

“ _ And what _ ?  _ You’re just going to bring our kids with you while you do this _ ?” Klaus asked.

“Hell no!” I scoffed. “Kai Parker is a siphon witch and I’m not letting him anywhere near the twins. Which is why I sent Damon to get Alaric.” 

“ _ So you’re just going to stay in Mystic Falls until this whole ordeal with your mother is taken care of _ ?” Klaus asked me, and I could tell he wouldn’t like my answer.

“Yup,” I answered while popping the ‘p.’ 

“ _ How long will that take _ ?” Klaus asked.

“One more day if we’re lucky,” I told him. “You know where the Boarding House is if you want to come down and watch the kids while I’m helping Damon. If not, Alaric’s going to be watching them.” I heard Klaus sigh, then a knock came from my door and I saw Alaric and Damon at my doorway. “I have to go. Love you.” I quickly hung up and Damon walked into the room as I walked back over to put Leo's blanket in his crib.

“So this is them?” Alaric asked and bent down in front of their play crib with a smile. 

“That’s them,” I confirmed and Alaric stood up, before turning towards me. “Thank you for doing this on such short notice.”

“It’s fine,” Alaric said. “I understand not wanting Kai near them.”

“You ready?” Damon asked and I nodded. 

“Text me if you have questions about anything,” I told Alaric and he nodded. I bent down to the kids and spoke to them, “Mommy has to go help your Uncle Damon with something real quick, but I’ll be back before you know it. Until then Uncle Alaric is going to look after you guys.” I smiled at them one more time before leaving my bedroom with Damon.

####  ~At the Salvatore Family Crypt~

We walked up to the crypt, bringing the video recorder and two crowbars with us. I looked to see a young man - maybe in his early twenties - waiting outside. “You must be the famous Alex Salvatore I’ve been hearing so much about,” He said to me.

“And you must be Kai, the psycho member of the Gemini coven,” I responded.

“I see my reputation precedes me,” Kai said with a smirk.

“Ok, here.” Damon handed him the recorder. “Let’s get this over with,” My brother said to me.

He walked into the crypt with me following after he took one of the crowbars out of my hand. I watched as Damon dug up our Mother’s gave and pulled it out, before placing it on one of the benches inside. We both began to pry off the bolts on either side of her coffin. Behind Damon, Kai was leaning against the doorway as he watched the video Bonnie inadvertently took of our Mom before she left the prison worlds. 

“I can't believe Bonnie made it out!” Kai said and looked at us. “Actually, I can. She's plucky. Hey, do you need help?” He kept talking before Damon or I could respond. “Oh. Before you answer that, I'd rather not.” He walked towards us. “I keep experiencing these pangs of guilt watching you. Feelings are hard.” 

“So, is the end of this crowbar,” Damon groaned in annoyance. I simply rolled my eyes as I kept working, although he is really annoying. 

“I'm just saying, digging up mommy's grave? That's dark, even for me. And, unnecessary. Guys, Bonnie saw her alive in a 1903 Prison World. It's-it's on camera.” I glanced up at the scene in front of me for a brief moment, before prying off another nail. “You want to watch it again?” Kai asked and shoved the camera in Damon’s face

Damon pushed him away and began to explain, “Our mother died of consumption in 1855. We did  _ not _ go through the trouble of moving this thing to the family crypt only to find out that she's not even here.” 

“Oh, so you just called me here because you two needed a friend?” Kai questioned as he leaned against the wall. “No, you two wanted to know if she could exist in another prison world. To which I responded, "yes," to which you both responded with denial.” 

“Look, whatever or whoever's on that tape - it's not her,” I stated, emphasizing my point by breaking my last nail. 

“Then who is it?” Kai questioned.

“I don't know.” Damon pried off his last nail. “A ghost? Maybe she has an evil Gemini twin,” Damon responded as I looked down at the coffin before us. 

Kai laughed, “Nice.”

“If our mother was imprisoned in 1903, she'd be in her 70's,” Damon reasoned.

“Not if she were like you,” Kai stated and Damon turned to him angrily.

“I know my mother. She's not a vampire. She’s not in a prison world. She died of consumption in 1855,” Damon explained then threw the crowbar away. It clanged on the concrete floor of the crypt, as it made contact with it. Then Damon and I stared at the old coffin, but neither of us moved to open it.

“Uh, if you're so sure of that, why haven't you opened the coffin yet?” Kai asked. Damon and I looked at each other before angrily flipping off the lid, which smashed on the ground to my left. When I looked down I stepped away in shock, while Damon stared at it confused. “Congratulations! Everything you both know about your mom is wrong.” Kai patted Damon on the shoulder before walking outside. 

“She’s alive and a vampire,” I finally said out loud after a few moments. “How did she get trapped in that prison world?”

“I don’t know, but we’re going to get her out,” Damon replied, determinedly. 


	34. Chapter 33

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~At the Boarding House~

“So Saint Caroline keeps her halo even with no humanity?” Damon said to Stefan while on the phone with him. Alaric was upstairs with the kids still and I was sitting on the couch across from Kai while I listened in on my brother’s phone call. 

“ _ Until she strangles some with it _ ,” Stefan replied.

“Even if she does...” Damon said, then turned around when Kai opened a cabinet door and got a bottle of booze out. “It could be good for her. You know, blow off some steam. Thin the herd. It’s getting awfully crowded around here.”

“ _ If she kills somebody _ -” Stefan began to say but Damon cut him off.

“It’s not your fault, Stefan. By the time you figured out how you felt about her, it was too late. She made her choice,” Damon explained.

“ _ Just do me a favor _ .  _ Check around Mystic Falls _ .  _ See if anybody’s missing _ ,” Stefan begged.

“Will do, brother,” Damon said, then hung up. “A little later.” Damon then turned around and walked closer to Kai, as the Gemini witch made himself a drink. 

“Whew, yeah, why tell your little brother your mother's still alive? No, but I get it. Mom's in a prison world and therefore an evil psychopath. Don't want to ruin little bro's perfect-mommy memory,” Kai said to us and I looked up at Damon over my shoulder. 

“Can I kill him?” I asked.

“You do realize I can hear you?” Kai instantly said.

“Sure,” Damon agreed, with a small smirk. “After we know the whole truth.”

“Truth…” Kai muttered and sat down on the couch across from me while resting his feet on the coffee table.

“Which is why you're still here. Your sister sent Elena and me back to 1994. Meaning you can send my sister and me back to 1903,” Damon explained.

“Technically, yes, I can do that. But, I'll need the Ascendant for the 1903 Prison World,” Kai explained.

“Well, as the newly elected president of the Gemini freaks, I assume you know where to get it.” Kai shrugged at us. “So get it,” Damon ordered.

“It's my pleasure,” The witch said and slowly took a sip of his drink. 

I narrowed my eyes at him while crossing my arms. “You want something.” Damon rolled his eyes and sat on the armchair of the couch I was sitting on. “Shocker,” I sighed.

“All right,” Damon agreed and crossed his arms, while Kai sat up.

“Well, ever since you told me Bonnie was back, I can’t stop thinking about her. What I did. How she is. It’s annoying, really,” Kai expressed to us then sighed. “Look. I need to see her. I need to apologize, and you’re going to make that happen.” Damon considered it for a moment before nodding. “Great!” Kai exclaimed. “I’ll call my people.” He then stood up and walked outside. 

####  ~Later that Night~

Damon had left with Kai because Bonnie wouldn’t agree to come here. I don’t know what he’s  _ going _ to do to change her feelings, but that was Damon’s problem. Alaric had gone home as soon as they left, so Kai wouldn’t question why Alaric was here in the first place. I was upstairs in my room, watching the twins sleep when my bedroom door opened. I turned to see Klaus walking in and I looked at him confused. 

“Um...hi,” I greeted him. 

“I’m here to get the twins,” Klaus replied as he walked over to us. 

“I just put them down for the night,” I said. Klaus opened his mouth to argue but I stopped him. “I’m not going to fight with you about taking the twins back to New Orleans. All I ask is that you leave later tonight and not right now, ok?” 

“And why should I do that?” He asked. 

“Kai and Damon are going to come home soon. If Kai sees you, he will question who you are and why you're here,” I told him. “Once Kai has told us what we need to know about my mother, then I’ll help you pack up the car and you can go because I know Mystic Falls isn’t safe for them.” Klaus sighed and nodded in agreement. 

“So she’s alive then,” Klaus said and I let out a deep breath.

“It would seem so,” I replied.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

“I’ll tell you once Damon and I get her out.” 

“Out?” 

“Kai said in exchange for Bonnie talking to him, he would send Damon and me to the prison world where my mother is,” I explained. “The unfortunate thing is if she’s in a prison world that means she’s dangerous.” 

“Then we will deal with it when that side of her comes to light,” Klaus said, trying to calm me down.

I smiled and hugged him. “I’ve missed you,” I told him.

“It’s only been two days,” Klaus laughed.

“Still,” I hummed and buried my head in the crook of his neck. I wish he could stay in Mystic Falls with me. “And my mother can’t be that bad; even if she is, I can’t exactly judge her actions. It’s not like any of us aren’t dangerous.”

“Love, I’m the least optimistic about redemption for mothers who come back from the dead,” Klaus pointed out.

“True,” I agreed given our track record with Esther. “Oh, I had another theory about their blood, and I promise it’s the last one. However, since you're taking them home...you can test it, but be discreet. Like, use Elijah or something.” 

“Why would I need Elijah?” Klaus asked, pulling back so he could look at me. 

“Because we need to test if their blood can heal werewolf bites,” I said, then Elijah’s fear of hurting us flashed into my head. “Actually use one of Marcel’s vampires. I don’t want Elijah to have another episode.”

“Do you think it will work?” Klaus asked and I nodded sadly after a quick moment.

“If I learned anything last night, it’s that our children have more power and possibly more people who want to kill, use, or hide them away because of it,” I explained and Klaus pulled me back into his arms. He kissed the top of my head while looking at our sleeping children.

“We’ll protect them, I promise.”

“I know. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.”

“ALEX!” I heard Damon shout, running the moment with my fiancé. “Why is Klaus’s car in our driveway?!” I groaned into Klaus’s neck while he laughed, then pulled out of the hug. 

“I should probably go down there,” I said and he nodded.

“I’ll start packing for tonight, while you handle things,” Klaus responded and kissed my forehead before letting me go. 

I walked downstairs and found Damon in the living room, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. His shirt was covered with blood and I took that as a hint to Bonnie and him having a fight. “Klaus is here to take the twins back to New Orleans.” I followed Damon as he sat near the fire. “Mystic Falls isn’t safe, and I agree that they shouldn’t be here if we’re going to that prison world soon,” I explained. 

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Damon replied, then turned to face the fire. I was going to ask what happened with Bonnie when the front door opened and closed behind me. “I'm not in the mood for the preamble,” Damon told Kai. “Just tell me why our mom's stuck in 1903.”

“You two are not bringing your mom back,” Kai stated and we turned around to him. 

“That's odd,” I said. “Sounds like you just asked Damon and me to kill you.”

“Your brother requested a truncated version, so I respectfully jumped to the end,” Kai replied and Damon got up from his seat.

“And why aren't we bringing her back?” Damon asked.

“Because there are only two prison worlds in existence. Mine, created in 1994, and the one created in 1903 for the sole purpose of locking up your mom...and her closet full of crazy-pants,” Kai explained. Damon sped him to the wall, pinning him by the collar of his shoulder. 

“Damon!” I shouted and moved closer to them. 

“You said we'd get her back,” Damon yelled at Kai and he looked at us sympathetically.

“I'm telling you, as a semi-sane person, you really don't want that,” Kai recommended.

“And I’m telling you, as a vampire who eats people, you really don't want to piss me off,” Damon threatened. 

“Ok, stop it!” I sped in between them, pulling Damon off of Kai. My brother looked at me angrily. “He’s no good to us dead,” I told my brother then turned to Kai. “Now please explain why Damon and I shouldn’t retrieve our mother.” The last thing I needed was another problem.

“Our mother is not a threat to us, Alex,” Damon stated.

“My current history with resurrected parents says otherwise,” I shot back and looked at Kai.

“Alex is right. Your mother is a threat,” Kai told Damon.

“No, she isn’t,” My brother insisted. “Now tell us how to get her back.”

“I won’t,” Kai stated. Damon growled and pinned him against the wall. 

“DAMON!” I yelled and tried to pry him off Kai again. 

Damon pushed me away and shouted at Kai, “Just tell us!” 

“Your mom's a Ripper!” Damon and I froze in our spots. “Okay?” 

“What?” I whispered. 

“She's a Ripper,” Kai repeated. “She turned in 1855.” Kai walked around Damon and stood in the center of the living room. “Faked her death. Went to Europe, where she went a little nuts,” Kai explained and I looked down. 

“No,” Damon mumbled. 

“Bodies piled up. She moved. Killed some more until she had to move again,” Kai continued. I was devastated by the information because my kids would never get to know, or have, a good grandparent.

“Stop,” Damon muttered. I looked over at him and watched him carefully.

“They think 3,000 in total,” Kai said. 

Damon mumbled, “That's enough.” 

“And, for some reason, my coven made it their duty to stop her. So, they cut her off at New York Harbor before she could tear through Manhattan. Granted -” He chuckled nervously. “- By the time they got to the ship, they found everybody dead. It was so gruesome they had to burn it there at the harbor,” Kai told us and took a step towards Damon.

My older brother looked at Kai and screamed, “I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!” 

My heart hurt for my brother when I heard the tone in his voice. I focused on him and weighed our situations in my head. While I had Klaus, my kids, and my brothers...Damon didn’t really have anyone. Mom being alive must have been the best news he had received in a long time, and it would be so easy to have her back in his life. I loved the idea too. I missed Mom and I wanted her back, but it was too much of a risk. Damon and I couldn’t handle two Rippers at the same time, especially since I wasn’t going to be here to help him. I had to go back to New Orleans soon. 

“Kai,” I turned to him. “I think you should leave,” I advised. Not knowing if Damon was about to rip out his throat. 

“Yeah,” He agreed then walked around my brother and left. 

I watched as Damon wobbled side to side before backing up and falling on the small staircase behind him. He sat there in silence and I carefully moved to sit next to him. It was rare when I thought Damon would cry, but then again the chance of seeing our mom again was rare too. Tears welled in his eyes but they never spilled, and all I could do to comfort him was wrap my arms around his shoulders. Damon’s head fell on my right shoulder and I squeezed my brother in a hug. 

“I’m so sorry Damon,” I whispered. 

He didn’t say anything though, and we just sat there; wishing we could see our mom again. 


	35. Chapter 34

###  Alex’s P.O.V

[I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/695243261220634027/) only went upstairs after Damon had walked into his and locked the door behind us. I went back to my room and told Klaus everything. “I’m sorry, my love. I know you wanted to see her again,” Klaus apologized. 

“It’s ok,” I told him. “The twins didn’t wake up did they?” 

“No, no, they slept through the whole thing,” Klaus replied and I sighed. He brought me in his arms again. I didn’t realize how much I needed a hug after everything.

“I’m worried about Damon,” I confessed.

“I know.”

I pulled away and looked up at him, “Would you mind if I stay for another day? Just to make sure he’s ok, or he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“That’s fine. But we need to leave,” Klaus said looking at our kids. 

“Yeah,” I agreed. 

Klaus packed him and the twins up; we were very careful not to wake them. Once they were all in the car I said my final goodbyes before Klaus drove off. 

####  ~The Next Morning~

I’m happy Klaus left last night. While Damon and I were dealing with Kai, Caroline had somehow managed to turn off Stefan’s humanity, so now we have two emotionless vampires to worry about. Now it’s ten in the morning, and I am currently standing behind the couch in the parlor room - drinking away all my problems - while Damon destroyed the chair in front of me…with an iron poker. Elena walked into the room and up to Damon. 

“Damon.” He stopped hitting the chair and turned to his girlfriend. “What are you doing?” Elena asked.

“Looking for a healthy outlet for my rage,” Damon answered and used the poker to smash a lamp.

“He hasn’t found it yet,” I informed her after downing my fourth drink. 

“Stefan without his humanity is one artery away from being the Ripper again, and every day that goes by is one year of guilt waiting for him on the other side,” Damon ranted to us. 

Elena came down the stairs and I handed her a glass of whiskey. She took it with a smile then made her way closer to my brother, as I made my way to the couch. “Yeah, well, not to add to our growing pile of bad news, but...we didn’t just lose Stefan. We lost our chance to spark Caroline’s humanity. Turns out, he was her emotional trigger,” Elena explained.

“Smart girl,” I hummed and Elena looked at me. “What? It’s true. Destroy the thing that would make you turn it on or remind you of your humanity. It’s why I took off my locket when Damon and my kids were ‘dead.’” Elena sighed and turned back to her boyfriend, who was handing her the poker.

“No thanks,” Elena said, with a shake of her head.

“Well, take it away from me...because I’m seconds away from using it on this,” Damon said to her. He grabbed the video camera that Bonnie brought back from the prison world. I walked up to him and took the poker away, before sitting down again. Elena looked at the still frame of our Mom on the screen. 

“Who is that?” Elena asked us, confused.

“That...is Lillian Salvatore,” Damon told her and turned the screen to her completely.

“Your mother is alive?” Elena asked us and took the camera from him for a closer look.

“Yep. Turns out she’s been in a prison world snapshot of 1903 for over a century,” Damon explained to her. 

“Your mother is alive,” She repeated, joyfully.

“Oh, yeah. Alive and well,” I said and walked over to them. “Not in the pine box that we thought we buried her in 1855. And apparently, she’s a vampire and not just any vampire either-” 

“Guys, your mother is alive!” Elena cheered, which cut me off from the big reveal. 

“She’s a Ripper, Elena,” I continued and she looked at me. 

“Makes perfect sense though, Stefan was always such a mommy’s boy,” Damon commented while turning away. Elena seemed to get an idea and kitted her eyebrows together.

“How much of a mommy’s boy?” Elena asked us.

“H **e** would have hanged himself with Mother’s apron strings if it meant her approval. We all would. We loved her,” Damon told her.

“She was our world,” I whispered and Elena just smiled at us. 

“What?” Damon asked her and Elena continued to smirk at us. I downed the drink in my hand once I figured out what she was thinking. “No. No way!” Damon exclaimed.

“This is our way to get Stefan back! You can’t tell me that your mother isn’t an emotional trigger,” Elena argued. 

“Elena, think clearly; this woman  _ killed  _ so many people that an  _ entire _ coven of witches built her a  _ permanent _ timeout! You don’t fix  **_one Ripper problem by unleashing another Ripper_ ** ,” I explained and Elena sighed. I love my mom, but I’m not bringing another Ripper back into the world. Who knows how much she’s changed in the hundred years she was trapped here? How well did I really remember her before she died?

“Think about it. If this works, we don’t just get Stefan and Caroline back. Your mother comes back as well. Aren’t you two even a little curious to see her?” Elena asked us. 

“Elena just because you have good intentions doesn’t mean it’s a good idea,” I replied. “Forget she’s our mother for a moment, because when you do that Damon and I have no reason to release her.”

“She is our mother, Alex,” Damon said. “Making an argument that she's not our mother is totally irrelevant because that fact will never change. I know what you're doing. You’re trying to stop us from doing this so you can go back to New Orleans quicker and deal with your own problems.”

“No, Damon. What I’m trying to do is get you to see reason,” I said. “I know you miss her, I miss her too, and don’t you think I want my kids to have a good grandparent in their life? But I can’t be selfish, nor can I afford to make mistakes. I have two kids to look out for and, frankly, you and Stefan too...both of your safety comes before anything.” Damon didn’t have a readable expression on his face and I sighed. “Look, I don’t want you to do something that has a small chance of actually working, because if it doesn’t work what are you going to do Damon?” My brother didn’t reply. “That’s what I thought.” I walked up to him and stared directly into his eyes. “Don’t go after her, brother, please. It will only cause you more pain.” I warned and went upstairs. 

####  ~Two Hours Later~

“Hey,” I greeted Klaus over the phone. 

“ _ Hello love _ ,” Klaus said and I could hear one of the kids crying on the other end. 

I knitted my eyebrows together and asked, “Is everything alright?”

“ _ Yeah _ ,  _ I just stop near a gas station to change Cordelia’s diaper _ .  _ She became calm when I gave her a pacifier and put her back into her carriage _ ,  _ but Leo won’t stop crying _ .  _ He’s not hungry _ ,  _ or in need of a diaper change _ -” Klaus explained and I giggled slightly. “ _ Stop it _ .”

“I’m not doing anything,” I replied.

“ _ You’re laughing _ ,” Klaus said.

“I’m sorry if I can clearly picture your situation, and find it slightly amusing that you’re going to live in my shoes until I get home. Especially considering how you're normally running around dealing with New Orleans/family problems,” I told him. “Also was he sleeping when Cordelia started to become fussy?”

“ _ Yeah _ ,  _ why _ ?”

“Her crying woke him up. Just rock Leo to sleep, give him his pacifier, and put him back in his car seat. How far away are you from New Orleans?” I asked.

“ _ About three hours _ ,” Klaus said, and I heard Leo calming down a bit. 

“Good, then he shouldn’t bother you for the rest of the trip unless he gets hungry. In that case, give Leo the little sippy cup of water I put in his night bag because he can hold his own bottle. However, if you're twenty minutes from the house at that point, just wait and give him the baby formula at home.”

“ _ How do you do this _ ?” Klaus asked me. I chuckled once I heard no more crying on his end of the phone and the car door closing softly. 

“I’ve been a mother twice, remember? While times have changed, the reason why they’re crying has not,” I explained. “But you’re new at this...you’ll get better at it because you love them.” 

Klaus let out a harsh breath, then said, “ _ I’m assuming there’s a reason you called _ .”

“Oh, yeah,” I remembered. “Should I get my mother out of the prison world? I mean she’s a Ripper, so what? Stefan’s a Ripper and he has a semi-functional life.”

“ _ I thought you decided against it seeing as she killed over three thousand people, and we didn’t need any more psychotic parents in our lives _ ,” Klaus questioned.

“Elena brought up a theory about how Stefan seeing my mother might turn his emotions on. It’s just a guess, but also all we have to go on that they won’t expect.” I explained. “I’m scared Damon will do this regardless of what I say like always.”

“ _ I thought he agreed with you _ ?” Klaus questioned.

“Yeah, then Elena came in and gave him a reason to get his mother back. You didn’t see him last night after Kai told him we couldn’t go get her; he’d jump at any opportunity. That much I’m sure of.”

“ _ Then go with him _ ,” Klaus replied as I heard the car door shut. “ _ We can handle whatever comes after _ .  _ Would Kai go with you _ ?” Klaus asked and I sighed.

“Sadly, because I don’t think Bonnie would be strong enough to take both of us...and we might need Bennett blood,” I told him.

“ _ Alright _ ,  _ call me when you come back then _ ,” Klaus demanded.

“You’re really ok with this?” I asked him again.

“ _ Yes, just call me when you’re back. _ ”

“I will,” I promised, hung up, then quickly sped downstairs. In the living room were Damon, Bonnie, Kai, and Elena. “What the hell?” Looks like I was right.

“Damn it,” I heard Damon mutter before turning around. “Perfect timing, little sister.” 

“You were just going to go get our Ripper mother without thinking this through,” I asked Damon.

“It’s the only shot we got to get Stefan back,” Damon reasoned.

“We’ve managed to get him back for over a hundred years every single time he went over the edge. You think we can’t do it now?” I asked. “I love our mother ok, but we have no proof this will actually work.”

“Alex-”

“Stay out of this, Elena!” I snapped. 

“Stefan’s last memory of Mom is her angel coming to say “everything's going to be ok,” Damon explained. “You truly think this won’t work? Or do you just not want to face our mother again?”

Kai dramatically whistled in the back, “Low blow.” I glared at him then looked at everyone in the room. I wasn’t going to win this and Klaus already said he was ok with me going, so I guess I’m going.

“Fine,” I conceded. “You win Damon, let me get my jacket.”

“Umm,” Kai spoke up and I raised an eyebrow at him. “While I would love to bring all of you, I think Bonnie and only have the power to bring two.”

“Ok, then Elena stays,” I said. 

“What? This was my idea,” Elena argued.

“And thank you for that, Elena,” I said while walking to the foyer and grabbing my jacket. “But this is our mother so don’t you think it would be better for her kids to go get her?” I shrugged my jacket on, fixing my hair real quick before walking over to Bonnie and Kai. Elena didn’t seem to have an argument that countered mine. “Great. Now that’s settled, shall we get this show on the road?”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Kai commented, and he and Bonnie got settled. Damon gave Elena a quick kiss before I placed my hand on Bonnie’s shoulder and Damon placed his hand on mine.

“Sangoma meam et nos mundo cacerema. Sangoma meam et nos mundo cacerema,” Kai chanted while channeling Bonnie.

I watched as a bright light flashed around us and the next thing we all knew, it was snowing. The four of us were standing in the middle of a forest and I smiled. It worked and Kai didn’t screw us over. “Well, isn’t this a picturesque slice of hell?” Damon asked and I hummed in agreement.

“You guys go ahead,” Bonnie said as she turned to us. “Kai and I will start the locator spell on the Ascendant.” I looked at them confused. Didn’t we just have the Ascendant?

“But didn’t you guys just have it?” I asked, then noticed neither of them had it. 

“The Ascendant can’t travel between worlds,” Kai stated. “Which means we gotta find its mirror image here in 1903.” 

“Page ten on the prison world-journal-rule-book,” Damon piped up and zipped up his jacket. Well, sorry if I’ve never done this before. “Shall we?” Damon asked me. He started to walk away, looking for our old house and I turned to Bonnie while watching Kai carefully.

“I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone with him,” I stated.

“I’ll be fine. He’s good now, remember?” Bonnie reassured me, and we looked to see Kai catching snowflakes with his tongue. “New leaf.” I gave her one last look before speeding after my older brother.


	36. Chapter 35

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Damon stood in front of our old house and I was standing next to him. Frozen - whether out of fear or shock - was really the only word to describe how I looked. “Wow,” I said. “Never thought I would see this place again.”

“Why would we want to?” Damon asked.

“Good point,” I stated and my brother moved forward to walk in, but I stayed glued in my spot. He turned around to me and raised his eyebrows in question. “Is it reasonable for me to not want to go in there?”

Damon sighed at me and held out his hand. “Dad’s dead, Alex. He can’t hurt you here,” He said.

“Given our luck he could,” I muttered. Damon sighed before extending his hand out to me again, and I hesitated before taking it. He led me inside and I felt like a kid again, walking through those front doors. I walked around lightly grazing my hand over some of the furniture. “It feels weird being back here.” 

“Yeah,” Damon whispered.

I spotted a painting that was flipped around on the floor beside the fireplace. Turning it around, I saw it was an oil painting of our family before Mom died. Glancing above the fireplace, where it should have been hanging, I could see where it used to be. It looks like Mom didn’t want Father glaring at her. Can’t blame her. I walked closer to the mantelpiece and saw our baby pictures sitting there. I grabbed the one of Damon and turned around to him as he lit up a lamp behind us. 

“You were so adorable as a baby,” I stated with a smirk. Damon looked at me confused before I turned the photo around for him to see. He walked up to me and grabbed another baby photo from the mantle. 

“You were too,” Damon said and showed me a photo of a four-year-old me sitting on Mom’s lap. “Maybe I should take this back with us and send it to Klaus as an earlier wedding gift.”

I looked at him shocked, “How’d you know about that?” 

“While I might not like your baby daddy a majority of the time, he is a gentleman. He asked me for your hand before he went to the car,” Damon explained.

“Well then if you do that, I’ll take this back to Elena,” I said, then turned and grabbed Stefan’s too. “And maybe this for Caroline once you get her emotions back on.” 

“We’re not here to socialize,” Damon reminded me, breaking the nice moment we were having. He turned around, pocketing the photo of me, and started snooping through a desk. “We get the Ascendant and find our mother.” Damon turned back to me. “You sure you can’t stay till  _ after _ she flips Stefan’s switch? I would love some help to figure out what the hell we’re going to do with her afterward.” 

“You do remember that Klaus’s evil aunt, may or may not be coming to take my daughter away from me for the rest of time?” 

“Ah! Right,” Damon grumbled.

“Although, I think you should keep her at arms distance,” I suggested. “But we still need to hear her out.” 

“Hear her out! Then what? Give her another chance to disarray a literal boatload of people?” He asked and I rolled my eyes. “But no. No. I decided to look at this like a son and not a sane person, which led me here. I thought we could help her since Stefan’s a fucking Ripper and we never fucking give up on him.” 

“We both know our brother is only a full-blown Ripper with his humanity off. For all, we know Lily is one with her humanity on. Plus where was she from 1855 to 1903? She was blood-binging through Europe while we carried the loss. Not exactly maternal.” I added on to my brother's rant. “How the fuck did we never hear of her before? I mean three thousand people dead in Europe? Stefan only killed a couple hundred and he was famous.” Someone - other than the witches - must have heard about her? How did we miss this? Klaus didn’t say anything to me and he must have known. I sighed, “We’re so stupid. We let the temptation of getting our mother back in our lives blind us and forgot how idiotic this idea was in the first place.”

“You did try to stop me,” Damon confessed.

“Yet two hours later I called Klaus and asked him if he’d be ok with me going to get her,” I replied. “I’m just as guilty as you.” 

“No,” Damon walked up to me. “This only proves to us that our mother died when we buried her empty coffin. What we’re doing now is getting a tool to get our Stefan back,” Damon explained. “Or at least that’s what I’m looking for?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked him, offended. 

Damon scoffed, “Like you don’t want to ask about your father.” I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could someone walked into the room. 

“Damon?” I heard a familiar female voice ask behind me. I turned around and stumbled back a bit when she made eye contact with me. “Alexandria?” Mom asked and I was speechless.

“Hello, Mother,” Damon responded. She was as shocked as we were and I could tell her words were caught in her throat. Mom looked down at the firewood in her hand, then back at us. 

“Um, excuse me while I put this down,” She said before walking over to the fireplace. 

Mom paused for a moment when she saw the oil painting had been flipped over but moved again to put the firewood down. Damon and I looked at each other as Mom moved to flip the painting over again, before turning back to us. She patted herself down, to look more presentable. The awkward silence was killing the three of us as we stared at each other. Mom then broke our gaze and began to take off her red coat. Once she was done, and the coat rested on her right forearm, she gestured to the couch. 

“Please, make yourself at home. I’m going to go get the kettle and make tea for the three of us,” She said before walking out of the room. 

Damon and I moved to the couch and took off our jackets before sitting down. Mom came back with a kettle full of water and placed it over the fire. I watched her move around the room gracefully as I smiled at the picture before me. She hadn’t changed, even if she was a Ripper like Kai had told us. Mom grabbed the tea set from the kitchen and placed it on the coffee table. There were some cookies that Damon and I used to love as children on the tray.

“You still like these don’t you?” Mom asked, and giggled. “It’s funny the tiny details you remember.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I told her, still in awe that she was right in front of me. 

She gave us a shy smile, then went to the next-door room, and came back with a chair. I looked back at the jar of blood and a small dropper next to it. Was this all the blood she had? Mom came back into the room with a chair and placed it on the other side of the coffee table, so she could sit in front of us. 

“Mother,” I spoke up, my voice higher than normal. I coughed slightly when Damon looked at me confused, and she glanced over her shoulder. Mom was checking on the water in the fireplace. 

“Yes, dear?” She asked sweetly. 

I looked over at Damon, who was sitting with his forearms resting on his knees, before I continued, “Do you know how long you’ve been here?”

“There was a time I marked days on a calendar.” Mom brought the kettle over to us. “I gave up after a few years...but judging by your,” She trailed off, glancing up at us quickly while pouring the hot water into the teacups. “Bizarre attire-” 

“You’ve been here for a hundred and fifty-nine years,” I informed her softly and she snapped her head towards me. 

“Yeah, we would have come by sooner...but Alex and I thought you were safe and sound in the family crypt,” Damon said sarcastically and Mom turned her gaze to him, bewildered by his attitude. “My bad.” 

“Technically, I did die in 1855, after a nurse in the TB ward fed me vampire blood,” Mom explained.

“And you never thought to stop by and clear things up?” Damon asked her, bluntly. Mom looked at us both awkwardly, before turning around and putting the kettle back over the fire. You could have handled that more delicately, brother. 

“How did you end up here?” I asked her, suddenly trying to defuse the tension between them. Mom turned around and smiled at me before sitting down in her chair. 

“It was October 31st, 1903,” Mom began and dipped a tea bag into the cups. “I had just arrived in New York harbor. The night sky was alive with this beautiful shimmering light.” Mom looked up at us with a smile. “And, out of nowhere, a coven of witches attacked. When I woke up, they were gone. Everyone was gone.” Mom chuckled nervously and placed the teabag down. “That night, the sky danced with colors again, and it’s done so every night since.” She then handed Damon and me each a cup of tea. 

“It’s called prison,” Damon - again - bluntly put it. “You must have pissed off a lot of people.” I shot him a glare, while Mom stared at him with guilt. 

“That life seems like forever ago,” She said. Damon picked up the dropper next to the jar of blood and examined it.

“You on a diet?” He asked her.

“I depleted every slaughterhouse within walking distance, and every butcher’s shop along the hellish trek from New York to Mystic Falls.” She picked up the jar of blood and showed it to us. “This is the last of the blood here.” So I was right in my observation. “Two drops a week, just to stay awake,” Mom explained.

“That sounds miserable,” I muttered as I placed my cup on the table.

“I manage,” Mom said with a smile. She picked up her glass and looked between us. “I heard you three turned during the war.” 

“Mm-hm!” Damon hummed as confirmation. I glared at her while a million thoughts ran through my head. You knew and you never came to find us. 

“Your father must have been horrified,” Mother said and took a sip of her tea. 

“He was,” I stated. Now it was my turn to be blunt. “And then, Stefan ripped his throat out.” Mother laughed, and she accidentally spits out her tea. She then looked at us a little embarrassed. Damon and I smiled at her reaction. 

“I apologize. That’s cruel to laugh at, but...good for Stefan,” Mother said. “I truly hated that man.” 

“Didn’t we all,” I replied with a groan while leaning back into the couch. Mother looked at me and noticed my change in demeanor towards her. 

“But you must have hated him so much, that you left your kids with him...faked your own death, and went out to join the Ripper coalition,” Damon elaborated, wording both of our thoughts out loud. Lily sat up straighter, then gave him a small smile. 

“Well, it’s nice to see that you two have grown into yourselves,” Lily stated. “How’s your brother?” 

Damon looked over to me and asked, “Do you want to tell her, or shall I?”

I sat up in my seat, before flashing Lily a tight-lipped smile. “Long story short: your youngest son has his humanity off. Which is  _ very _ bad, so we need you to come back with us to flip his switch on,” I said.

“And you believe that I can reconnect Stefan with his humanity?” Lily asked.

“The last memory our brother has of you is a vision of an angel telling him ‘Everything is going to be okay,” Damon said, and she looked touched by his words. “So, you’re gonna be an angel again.”

“He doesn’t need to know how screwed-up you really are,” I stated. Her smile fell as she looked between us, noticing that we were both thinking the same thing. 

“Of course I’ll help,” Lily said with fake joy. “I’d love nothing more than to see him again.”

Damon slammed the table, and we both stood up after she agreed to help us. “Pack your bags,” Damon ordered. 

“Wonderful!” Lily exclaimed and stood up as well. Damon and I went to grab our coats near the door. “I’ll alert the others.”

My brother and I stopped dead in our tracks and looked at each other before I turned to Lily. “You’ll alert who, now?” I asked her. Only more proof we were idiots to come here. 

“You knew so much about me...I assumed you’d heard of my traveling companions?” Lily questioned and we looked at her uneasy.

“ _ What _ traveling companions?” Damon asked. 


	37. Chapter 36

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Lily was quick to lead us through some tunnels under our house with a lamp in her hand. She wore a smile the whole way while Damon and I shared a few worried glances. We stopped in our track when we saw six desiccated vampires, to the point of immobilization, sitting around a table. Lily moved to stand next to one of them. 

“Everyone, meet my son, Damon, and my daughter, Alexandria,” Lily introduced us. “They’re here to take us home.” 

I looked at the sight horrified. Out of everything that could have happened while we were here, my mother having a den of desiccated vampires was not something I imagined. Damon and I looked at each other with concern before we turned back to Lily. She was now putting on a jazz record, via a gramophone player, while my brother and I both continued to stare in horrid confusion. 

“Mother, have these vampires been here with you the whole time?” I asked her.

“We went everywhere together. They happened to be on the boat that night, poor souls,” Lily answered, solemnly. 

“These...poor souls...don’t happen to have the same affinity for rolling heads, do they?” Damon asked.

“On the contrary.” She moved to stand behind them. “These people saved me from the part of myself. I was banished here because I was a monster. I drank with no remorse from whatever human I could sink my teeth into. But, locked in this cage, I was forced to confront the animal I had become,” Mom explained and affectionately fixed up the handkerchief in one of her male friends' pockets. “And as we ran out of resources...my friends sacrificed their rations for me.” I crossed my arms in discomfort and swallowed a lump in my throat. How noble. “And I knew that if I drank everything, as every bone in my body demanded...there wouldn’t be enough to wake them. So I learned to control my bloodlust.” Lily moved around the table again to stand in front of us. “For them. These people made me feel human again. I’ll fetch the rest of the blood, so we can revive them.” 

Lily made her way out of the room as I let out a shaky breath. I slowly wandered further into the room, and to the desiccated vampire at the end of the table. I bent over a bit, held up a finger, and waved it back and forth as I watched the man’s eyes follow it. Ok, that’s creepy. 

“Not only is she a Ripper -” I looked at my brother as I stood up. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “She’s an insane Ripper!” Damon yelled.

“Agreed. Let’s snap her neck and find Bonnie and Kai quickly. We can’t let her-” I began to trail off when a little box caught my eye. I walked over to it and picked it up. “Bring them back.” I turned around and showed Damon the box. “Is this the Ascendant?” I asked him and he looked at it confused, then looked over his shoulder to make sure Lily was coming back.

“Yeah,” He answered and I opened it in my hand while studying it.

“Why isn’t Bonnie here?” I asked him.

“Because Bonnie isn’t looking for the Ascendant, Alex,” Damon said quietly. I knitted my eyebrows together before I realized what he meant. Bonnie was getting revenge on Kai. 

“Then we need to leave, now,” I stated. Damon and I rushed back to the house and started to put our coats on quickly. “Mother,” She turned around to us. Lily was ready to leave. “Sorry, to burst your bubble, but your vampire-menagerie are going to have to take the next train out because we’re a witch down,” I informed her and she shook her head in disbelief.

“You want to leave them behind?” Lily asked, surprised. “No, Alexandria, you can’t save me without saving them.” 

Damon sighed, “We’ll come back for them. Promise.” Which was a complete lie. “Let’s go.” I saw the Aurora Borealis outside and turned back to Damon. Well, there’s our ticket out of here. 

Bonnie came rushing through the door. “You got it?” Bonnie asked.

“Yeah,” I pulled the Ascendant out of my pocket, then handed it to Bonnie. 

“Okay.” Bonnie sighed, and we heard Damon groan behind us. I turned to see Lily had vanished. 

“You gotta be kidding me!” My brother exclaimed. Damon looked at us, clearly frustrated, and sighed. “Go, start the damn spell. I’ll go get her.” We nodded, as Bonnie led me out of the house.

####  ~In the Woods~

Bonnie and I were outside as she cut her hand. She dropped her blood over the Ascendant and I held it out for her. “Sangoma meam et nos mundo cacerema. Sangoma meam et nos mundo cacerema,” Bonnie chanted. After a few moments, Damon showed up with Lily hand-in-hand.

“Took you long enough,” I said to him and he rolled his eyes. 

Damon grabbed onto my shoulder as someone came running through the woods towards us. “BONNIE!” Kai shouted behind her. Bonnie stopped chanting and smirked before a white light engulfed us again. 

I looked around, to see we were in the boarding house again. Damon let go of my shoulder and I gave Bonnie a tiny smile, before looking around the room. “Looks like we all got what we wanted.” I turned to Damon. “I trust you can take it from here,” I said and sped up to my room. 

~

[I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/740560732460266787/) walked out of the shower, completely ready to leave this town, and texted Klaus that I was leaving now. I started packing up the few clothes I brought with me. “Damon said you’re leaving,” I heard Lily say and turned towards her.

“Well, I’ve got two babies waiting for me in New Orleans,” I replied. Lily walked more into the room while I continued to pack.

“Babies? Are they descendants from Charles and William?” Lily asked and I paused for a moment, before shaking my head no. How did she know about my sons? Had she checked on us in the years before she got locked away?

“No, they’re my actual kids. I gave birth to them and everything.” 

“How is that possible?”

“It’s a long story,” I answered. 

“And what of the father?” Lily asked and I stopped packing. “Is he still in the picture?”

“Yeah,” I whispered with a tiny smile.

“Do you love him?” She asked and I looked at her.

“Did you love my biological father?” I asked her. Lily looked surprised that I knew this, so I decided to explain. “I’m different from my brothers. I’m a vampire and a werewolf. A hybrid. Quite a shocking discovery. It only made sense after we read some of Giuseppe’s journals and found out I wasn’t his daughter.” I chuckled awkwardly. “Even though he raised me.”

Lily was silent, and I stared at her for a while before continuing to pack. Then I heard a small, “Yes,” and looked back at her. “I love your real father dearly. He made me so happy whenever we were together.”

“Then why didn’t you take Damon and me, and run away with him?” I asked her. “We could have had a normal childhood.”

“The idea did accrue to me once upon a time, and I did almost do it when he came to the house-”

“I read this in Father's journal. How my real dad figured out I was his daughter,” I cut her off. 

“He was so happy to learn about you, and wanted to meet you dearly,” Lily explained with a faint smile. “But I knew that if he did. If I grabbed Damon and you and ran away with him that night...Giuseppe would have hunted us down and punished us for the rest of time.” 

“He did that to your children anyway, so what’s your point,” I snapped. “Your husband was human, meaning he was no match for a werewolf. Plus I  _ know _ we could have easily disappeared in New Orleans. In any city really.” Lily looked away from me guilty and sat down on the opposite side of my bed. I shook my head and looked down, before closing my suitcase. “I have to go.”

“You’re leaving now?” Lily questioned and moved in front of me, so I couldn’t leave.

“Yeah, well, Damon and you have Stefan handled from here...and unlike you, I don’t abandon my children,” I growled and moved around her. She grabbed my arm and turned me back to her. 

“ _ I _ am still  _ your mother _ ,” Lily sneered. 

“Then why did you never come back for us after we turned?” I asked and her grip on me loosened a bit. “You knew we survived and yet you still let us believe you were dead.” Lily dropped her hand and tried to find the right words. “I have been trying to fix our family ever since you died and now the three of us are in a good place...only to find out you knew the entire time.”

“Alexandria-”

“No! You don’t get to speak!” I shouted, cutting her off and Lily took a step away from me. “You know people always wondered why I barely let anyone call me by full name, then they hear about my tragic childhood and think it’s because that’s what my bastard of a father called me. But no, it’s because it’s what you used to call me. It’s because it always reminded me of how much you loved me and how much darker my world became without that love in it. Imagine how much it hurt me to find out that you didn’t give a  _ damn _ about us!” Lily looked heartbroken as a single tear ran down my cheek. I stood up straighter and took control of my emotions as I looked her up and down. “Damon was right. You’re simply a tool to help us save Stefan, and our real mother - the mother I love - died from consumption in 1855.” 

With that I went downstairs and walked out to my car, leaving Lily stranded in my room. I opened up the trunk and put my suitcase inside when Damon leaned against the side of my car. “I’m assuming you don’t want to talk about what just happened,” Damon said and I slammed the trunk shut before looking at him. 

“Not really. No,” I stated. “I just want to get on the road, go to New Orleans-”

“And be with Klaus and you kids,” Damon finished. 

“How’d you know?” I asked him, jokingly.

“Same way I knew that giving Klaus my blessing would mean you and those kids will be loved and cared for, for the rest of your lives,” Damon answered. He came closer to me and brought me into my arms, rubbing my back comfortingly. “Drive safely.”

“I will,” I told him and pulled away. “Text me once Stefan is back to normal and you stop Lily from getting her friends back, even if that means killing her. But if you fail or need help, give us a call, Klaus and I are getting good at dealing with psycho family-ish members.”

“Ditto,” Damon replied and I chuckled lightly at his choice of words. I walked to the driver's seat and got in. Damon gave me a small wave when I looked back through the window. I waved and then pulled out of the garage, ready to go home. 


	38. Chapter 37

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Charles and [I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/737112664000897039/) were walking through the streets of New Orleans. Even though Klaus had given me a tour of the city last year, Charles wanted to give me what he called a “proper” one. We had put the twins in their double stroller and brought them with us. No doubt Klaus was following us in case we were attacked, but he would have followed us anyway. I know Klaus said he trusted my judgment, but I knew Klaus didn’t trust Charles with my safety or the children's. Oh and speaking of him, he did inform me that our kids can heal werewolf bites. Just another thing to add to my list of endless worries.

“Well, Mom...now that you have a real local to show you around the Quarter...what would you like to see first?” Charles asked me as I bent down to see what Leo was pointing at. A booth nearby had caught his attention and he laughed in joy towards it. This was the twins' first real look at their home. I stood up and shrugged at Charles. 

“I have no clue,” I answered. 

“Ok, then while you figure it out...do you mind if I ask why you left for Mystic Falls without telling anyone?” Charles said carefully, not wanting to push my buttons. 

“An old friend of mine passed away, so I went to pay my respects. I took your siblings with me because of Rebekah’s condition and my distrust in Freya, not to mention I wanted your uncles to meet them,” I explained.

“Klaus came home with them before you did,” He pointed out. “Why?”

“Ah, well, funny story...your uncle Stefan flipped his switch for starters and I couldn’t leave till that problem was sorted, which - hopefully - it is. Damon and I found out your grandmother was alive and trapped in a 1903 prison world, so we had to go and get her to flip Stefan's humanity back on,” I explained.

“So your mother is alive in Mystic Falls and you didn’t think to mention that when you came home.”

“It’s complicated Charles, and I really don’t want to talk about it right now. Maybe tomorrow, if something major doesn’t happen before then,” I said to him. I had explained everything to Klaus yesterday. It made me realize that this is what Charles must have felt like when he found out I had survived all those years ago, then had another family of my own. Guess I’m my mother’s daughter after all. 

We walked up to a violinist on the sidewalk who was playing an upbeat jazz tune, and so we stopped to listen. The violinist smiled down at the twins as she continued playing the tune a little longer before dramatically ending the song. I smiled back at the woman and dropped some money into her violin case before speaking to her. “Thanks!” I said as we began to walk away. Behind us, I could hear her starting to play a much slower tune. It caused a chill to go down my spine and we looked back at her. She was staring at us as she played on with a blank expression.

“That song... What is it?” Charles asked me. 

All the warning sirens were going off in my head. I quickly turned back around, then continued walking away from the musician. As we headed down the street, I looked for a natural excuse to turn around without raising any alarms. I started scanning my surroundings and saw a waiter writing a message onto the chalkboard before he turned and looked directly at us. The message read:  _ A promise made is a debt to be paid _ . I was about to turn the stroller around calmly now that I knew we were definitely being to watch. Charles seemed to get the same feeling because he was watching everyone around us carefully. 

Suddenly, a man came up to us holding a large, long-stemmed red and black flower in his hand. “Flowers, miss?” He asked me and held it out to Cordelia more than Leo. “A gift for the baby girl.” 

“Uh, no, we're alright. Thank you!” Charles declined with a smile.

“Are you sure?” He asked me. I looked at the man suspiciously as he held up the flower and smiled creepily. “Black dahlias are in bloom. They're quite lovely.” 

In full panic mode now, I quickly moved to turn the stroller around and head back to the compound. The stranger grabbed my arm, and in a blink of an eye, his eyes turned pure white. Klaus appeared from his hiding spot in a split second and shoved the man against a light post, holding him in a choke-hold.

“Show yourself, witch,” He growled at the man. 

I bent down to check on Cordelia, before turning to Charles. He stumbled a bit, before freezing in place and his eyes turned white. “Klaus!” I yelled and my fiancé let go of the stranger and turned back to us. 

“I am here. I am everywhere, and I intend to take what is mine,” Dahlia said through my son. Klaus scowled at her, while I looked terrified. 

“It's her,” Klaus stated, stepping closer to the children and grabbing my arm to pull me behind him if necessary. Dahlia let go of my son’s mind once Klaus said that, and Charles groaned. My eldest son then looked at us completely confused, when he saw Klaus protecting me from him. I continued to stare at my son in shock, horror, and worry.

“Hey, what just happened?” He asked us.

“Dahlia,” I answered.

####  ~Back at the Compound~

Klaus, his siblings, and I were convening in the dining room to catch everyone up to speed on what happened. Charles was upstairs in my room trying to calm down from being mind-controlled by an evil psycho. “Isn't that the point of a fortress? It does a better job of protecting you three when you stay within its walls,” Klaus said to me, displeased, which snapped me out of my thoughts.

“I can defend our children by myself if need be,” I told him. “Can we just figure out what we’re going to do and how to not let her control Charles like that again?”

“Didn’t look that way to me. Maybe I should put you on a leash -” Klaus began. I went to stand up when Elijah, who was sitting on my right, placed his hand on my shoulder. 

“- Children, please,” Elijah began, politely cutting off his brother, and I sat back down slowly while glaring at Klaus. “Niklaus, your ire is justified. However, your girlfriend is quite right.” I gave my fiancé a smug look. “We need to find a new strategy. Freya, if you please?” 

Freya sighed defeatedly, “The spell you described... Dahlia calls it ‘kenning’ - using proxies to watch her enemies from afar.” Klaus and I looked at her, half-suspicious, half-curious, and Freya paused, looking overwhelmed. “But, I've never seen it done on quite this scale.” I sighed in frustration, looking overwhelmed.

“Awesome. So, basically every Hurricane-chugging, boob-flashing tourist on Bourbon Street is a potential spy,” I stated.

“The good news is, I know a little about how her magic works,” Freya said. She gestured to the tray she had set up on the table. It had a silver tea kettle and seven teacups full of brown liquid on saucers. One was meant to be given to Charles after the meeting. “This tonic will at least prevent her from using any of us.” Rebekah, Henrik, and Freya each reach for a cup. When Elijah, Klaus, and I didn't move, Rebekah looked around at us.

“Well, come on! This should work like a charm!” Rebekah encouraged. Elijah glanced at me before grabbing a cup as well. “Bottoms up!” The three of them drink their tonics. 

Elijah pushed a cup in front of me and held one out to Klaus. My fiancé and I looked at each other then back at Elijah. Sorry, ‘Lijah, I don’t want to drink a magical tonic that comes from a witch I don’t trust. “Is there something you two wish to contribute?” He asked us.

Klaus shrugged and said, “We prefer biscuits with our tea.” Elijah rolled his eyes as he set Klaus's cup down in front of mine. 

“Of course,” Elijah muttered. 

“And Alex, why are you not drinking your tea?” Freya asked me kindly and I looked at her. 

“I don’t drink something if I don’t know what’s in it,” I told her. “And I’m definitely not giving it to my son.” Freya seemed to read between the lines and was shocked by my distrust in her. 

“Alex.” I looked at Henrik and he sent me a reassuring smile. “I made the tonic with her. It won’t kill you. All it does is protect your mind from Dahlia, and it’d be smart if you and your son took it as well,” He explained. 

I looked around the room and saw Rebekah and Elijah were perfectly fine after drinking it. Elijah gave me a small nod before I sighed and drank the tonic. Then I grabbed the full cup in front of my own and held it up to Klaus. 

“Alexandria, my mind’s far too strong to be invaded by kenning spells,” Klaus said rather arrogantly to me. 

I stood up and moved in front of him. “Dahlia is older than you, so shut up and drink the damn thing so I know she can’t invade your mind,” I commanded while forcing the cup into his hand. “Because the last thing I want to do today is deal with a possessed version of you.” I heard a few chuckles from the table behind me, and Klaus glared at his siblings. He looked back to me and stared me down, while I kept my arms crossed against my chest as I waited for him to drink it. Klaus sighed before giving in to my demands and drinking Freya’s tonic in one go. I smiled at my small victory as he placed the empty cup on the table. 

“Either way,” Klaus began to speak again as I sat back down next to Elijah. “What we experienced today was a test. Dahlia's watching to see how we respond to aggression. She's preparing for battle.” I looked back at him as he spoke directly to me. “My guess is sooner, rather than later.”

“If she was watching us, she would know that we have our own army,” I responded.

“She also knows where we are. And, given the immense nature of her power, we simply do not know what to expect from her. What we need is to create a new stronghold. Something that Dahlia knows nothing about. A sanctuary from any witchcraft,” Elijah suggested.

“That's a fine strategy.” Everyone looked to Freya, apart from Klaus and myself. “I offer another.” That caught Klaus’s attention. “We can use Charles to trace her magic back to its source.” And now she has mine. “Find out exactly where she is,” Freya explained. Everyone looked at me, as I considered it for a moment. Klaus merely smirked and raised his eyebrows at the idea. He knows I don’t like this idea, but given how I can’t think of another idea to counter Freya’s; I guess I have to agree. 

“Fine. Do it,” I sighed reluctantly and Klaus seemed pleased. 

“Good! Then it's settled. Off you pop to your respective tasks! Me? I've always been of the opinion that the best defense is a good offense. So, I'm going to find a way to murder that godforsaken witch,” Klaus explained and smiled evilly, before leaving the room. 

I turned to Freya and asked her, “Can you make three more cups of that tonic?” 

“Three?” She asked, confused.

“You already made one for Charles, but I also want to give a cup to Hayley, Victor, and Daniel as well,” I explained. Freya nodded and I smiled while she moved to make more tonic. 


	39. Chapter 38

###  Alex’s P.O.V

I lightly knocked on my bedroom door as I walked in. Charles looked up at me from where he was sitting. I was bringing him Freya’s tonic to drink. Hayley and Victor had drank theirs, and Victor said he’d give Daniel his when he got to the compound. He also mentioned how Daniel was now starting to help out with the pack a lot. 

“Hey, you okay?” I asked.

“That witch got in my head.” I sat down next to him at the end of my bed. “I could have hurt you, hurt my siblings,” Charles said, clearly thinking of the worst possible outcomes that could have happened today. 

“Here. Drink this,” I said and handed him the cup in my hands. “Freya said it will keep her from getting in again.” Charles took it from my hand, stared at it for a moment before drinking it.

“I can feel her, Mom,” Charles expressed. “Dahlia... She’s nothing but darkness.” He quickly turned to me. “I say we take the kids and the pack and we leave town tonight.”

“No.”

“But-”

“No but’s, Charles, I’m not leaving Klaus and I’m definitely not going to take our children away from him.” I scolded and stood up in front of him. “We are not a family that runs, and even if we did; she’ll find us anyway.”

“They’re not safe here. Klaus is going to fight Dahlia head on and you know it,” Charles said desperately. “I know every inch of the Bayou. Out there, we're the predators. We can keep Cordelia and Leo safe, and at the very least, it will buy us some time to figure out how to get rid of the witch for good.”

“I said no Charles. I won’t run. Klaus and his siblings are my family, your sibling's family,” I explained to him.

“You know who else is part of that family? Dahlia!” Charles looked as though he felt bad for his outburst, and his tone became gentler. “You’re right, ok? Normally I wouldn’t suggest running, and I hate backing away from a fight, but this one started a thousand years ago...it's not our war, and it certainly isn’t theirs,” He stated while pointing to the nursery. I rubbed my arms, and looked away, understanding where he was coming from now. In a way, he was right too. He just wanted to protect them. Charles sighed and stood up to leave the room. “Just think about it, ok?” I looked at him and gave him a small nod, although I knew what my final decision was. I wasn’t going to run. 

~

Charles was laying on the table, while Freya drew an infinity symbol on his chest, using the burned end of a sage smudge-stick. I stood next to Rebekah and Freya ready to intervene if needed. As for Henrik, he left to help Klaus. Apparently, my love was going to have a chat with Mikael and see if they could work together to kill Dahlia. It was going to end horribly and my only wish is that Klaus comes home alive whether they beat Dahlia tonight or not.

“By doing this we should be able to trace Dahlia's signature all the way back to the source of her power. But I'll need to dig deep,” Freya explained. “Rebekah, if I may channel you?” Rebekah looked uneasy, but she nodded in agreement and I looked down at Charles in concern.

“Are you sure you're okay with this?” I asked him again and my son laughed nervously.

“Piece of cake,” Charles said and I sighed, before giving the witches their space to work. I still didn’t like this plan, but we needed to know where Dahlia was. 

Rebekah took Freya's hands in hers and held them over Charles’s body. “Inveniere potencia reparon malefica. Inveniere potencia reparon malifica,” Freya and Rebekah chanted. As they chanted, Charles’s back arched painfully as he groaned in agony. After a moment, Rebekah immediately let go, though I assumed she did so because of the spell being too much for her. She was still new to this whole magic thing after all. Rebekah stared at her hands in fright. 

“Rebekah, we need to continue,” Freya told her gently.

“I…” Rebekah said, shocked, she shook her head slightly while looking at Freya. 

I glanced between them, before asking, “What is it?” 

“You,” Rebekah breathed out, appalled by Freya. “You're the reason Dahlia can cast such powerful spells.” I looked at Freya and she shook her head slightly. Looks like Klaus and I were right not to trust her. “She's channeling you.” Freya looked alarmed and began shaking her head in disagreement. 

“All this time,” I said and turned to her. “You've been helping her.” Freya shook her head desperately and looked at me, obviously upset by this news.

“I had no idea.” Freya began to pace anxiously. “She must have found me.” She looked between Rebekah, who was still hurt by the betrayal, and me, as Charles sat up on the table. “She wants to turn you against me!” Freya exclaimed and came towards us. I lunged for Freya and shoved her backward, away from Charles.

“Get away from my son!” I growled. 

“Stop!” Rebekah said, jumping between the two of us before we started to fight. She put a comforting hand on Freya's shoulder as I moved back over to check on Charles. “Freya, I want to trust you, I do. But, you said it yourself...you're bonded to Dahlia. I'm sorry, but it's better that you go. Please.” Freya looked hurt, but she didn't fight us on it. She simply turned and left the compound.

~

Elijah had finally arrived home, and he was unhappy to find out, from Rebekah and I, that Freya had left. The idea of running was sounding more and more appealing to me, but I won’t leave with Klaus. Maybe I can get him to come with us? Wouldn’t be the first time he disappeared into thin air. “What do you mean ‘she's gone?’” Elijah asked us.

“She was a risk-” I started to explain.

“- She was also the one person who understands the enemy we now face,” Elijah cut me off.

“Both of you, just stop it,” Rebekah said, but I talked over her.

“I was protecting Cordelia from someone it is obvious none of us trust,” I said, defending myself. 

“Correct,” Elijah said sternly. “We've done nothing but doubt Freya. Nevertheless, she kept her promise, and she saved your life.” He looked at Rebekah, who looked guilty. Oh, that’s low even for you, Elijah. “We certainly haven't demonstrated the same kindness towards her.” Rebekah looked between Elijah and the floor. We both knew Elijah was right in the end.

“So, what the bloody hell do we do now?” Rebekah asked. 

“There is a jazz club in Algiers by the name of the St. James Infirmary. Marcel has acquired it, and Josephine is fortifying it as a sanctuary against magic.” Elijah turned to me. “Pack your things. Marcel will escort you and the twins there tonight at nine o'clock. I’ll make sure to let Klaus know when he gets home and to send Charles, Victor, and Hayley with you,” Elijah ordered and I rolled my eyes. Now he wants me to hide? Great. He then pointed to Rebekah. “You, wait with me.”

“What for?” Rebekah asked, confused.

“If Freya shall return, we will be here. Now, whether we trust her or not, we cannot win this fight without her,” Elijah explained then left the room. Rebekah turned to me and I sighed. I glanced at her quickly before speeding up to my room and began to pack. 

####  ~8:50 pm~

“Hey,” I said.

“ _ Hey _ ,” Stefan answered.

“How’s it feel to have your emotions back?” I asked him.

“ _ Good _ ,” Stefan replied. “ _ I think our mother’s return is what I’m focusing on at the moment _ .”

“Ah, yes...that,” I said and placed some more of my clothes in my suitcase. The twins were packed and ready to go. 

“ _ She thinks you hate her by the way _ ,” Stefan mentioned.

“Well, she wouldn’t be wrong,” I replied and he sighed. 

“ _ How’re things going down there _ ?” Stefan asked, changing the topic since he knew I didn’t want to talk about Lily. And that we’d only fight if he tried to get me to talk about her.

“The same as normal,” I replied. “However I think Klaus and Mikael might resolve their differences for a day, seeing how I haven’t heard a pip since he left this morning.” 

“ _ Huh _ .”

“My thoughts exactly,” I told him. I paused and placed my hands down as a small silence settled between us. “Stefan. Dahlia, Klaus’s crazy aunt I told you about, well she’s here. The twins are fine for now, but Klaus and Elijah are the oldest vampires I know...and she has them scared.” 

“ _ I might not like the guy _ ,  _ but I know Klaus is not going to let anything happen to those kids _ ,” Stefan said.

“I know. I know,” I said. “But Charles suggested going into the Bayou and getting them out of New Orleans without Klaus knowing...and I’m starting to think that maybe it’s a good idea.”

“ _ Alex _ ,  _ if you do that _ ,  _ he’ll never forgive you, and you will never forgive yourself _ ,” Stefan stated, and I sighed. 

“I know, I’m just scared,” I confessed to him. 

“ _ Then tell Klaus that _ ,” Stefan said. “ _ He is going to be your husband soon _ .”

“Jesus Christ! Did Damon tell everyone?” I asked him.

“ _ Nah _ ,  _ just me, I think _ .  _ It came up when I asked where you and the twins were after I came home, _ ” Stefan explained.

“Good, because I wanted to tell everyone after Klaus gave me a ring,” I replied and Stefan laughed. I zipped up my suitcase and placed it near the door with the rest of them. “Hey, I gotta go and get the kids ready for bed,” I lied. I couldn’t be sure if Dahlia was listening in. “I’ll call you later ok?”

“ _ Alright _ ,  _ give the twins my love _ ,” Stefan said.

“I will,” I told him then hung up before going to get the kids and myself ready to leave. 

It didn’t take that long to get the kids ready and once they were dressed and ready to leave, Marcel knocked on my bedroom door. He came in with three other vampires including Josh. He smiled at me before gesturing to his guys to take my suitcase by the door. “You ready?” Marcel asked me and I nodded.

“Yup, let’s go,” I said and we left.

####  ~At St. James Infirmary~

The twins were both sleeping in their cribs calmly as I watched them. Victor, Hayley, and Charles were asleep on some air mattress in the back room, while mine was near the kids. Someone sped into the club and I turned to see Klaus standing there. “I see you have settled in nicely,” Klaus stated and walked over to the kids.

“Did your plan work?” I asked him.

“Not in the slightest. Which is why you must remain here until I figure how to cut off her power long enough to kill her,” Klaus said and placed his hand on my cheek. “I can’t lose you.”

I grabbed his wrist and held his hand closer to my face. “You won’t,” I promised. He smiled at me, happy that I wasn’t complaining about being locked up again. “However,” I giggled as Klaus moved his arms around my waist and brought me closer to his chest. “I have to ask if there is any good news that happened today?”

“Mikael’s dead. We need Viking ash to bring Dahlia down. Since we now have an abundant amount of Norwegian soil, the land in which she grew up, and we have Freya, the blood of the only person she ever loved...we just needed a burning Viking body,” Klaus explained and I looked at him impressed. Then I noticed the red in his eye and looked at him concerned.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy about his death,” I questioned.

Klaus let a tear fall as he remembered something, and I gently wiped it away as he met my eyes again. I gave him a kind smile and he opened up to me. “He loved Freya. The daughter he barely knew, yet he knew me all my life and despised me.” I tangled my fingers in the back of Klaus’s hair comfortingly. “I asked why he hated me before he knew I wasn’t his son. Why he wasn’t my father in those moments, and do you know what he said...he said he didn’t know.” 

I was quick to hug Klaus and he tucked his head in my neck, as he let some tears fall. We pulled away after a while and I wiped off these tears as well. “I wish I knew what to do to make this night better for you,” I told him, honestly. 

“Well, there is one thing,” Klaus said quietly and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a little velvet black box and we looked at each other. “I was going to give you this in celebration of defeating Dahlia, but I guess Mikael’s death will have to do.” I took the box out of his hand and opened it to see the [ring](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/537617274268670794/) inside.

“It’s beautiful Klaus” I whispered in awe before he took the box out of my hand. He took out the ring, then grabbed my left hand and slipped the engagement ring onto my finger. 

“There. Right where it belongs,” Klaus told me with a smile, and I laughed in joy before kissing him. My happily ever after. 


	40. Chapter 39

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Cordelia was using [my](https://za.pinterest.com/pin/313633561541987120/) right leg to stand up while Leo used my left. They’re going to start walking soon. I had one of my hands behind each of them in case they fell backward. They didn’t deserve this and I’m so tempted to pick them up and run, but then my eye catches the diamond ring on my finger. I can’t leave Klaus. He’s their father and he gets a say. 

I was talking to Victor, Daniel, Charles, and Hayley. “Okay. Good news? Dahlia still doesn't know that we're here,” I started. “Bad news? Klaus says she's given us until tomorrow night, and then she's coming for Cordelia.” 

“Well, I still say we should run,” Charles stated and I glared at him. 

“Look, I’m not leaving Klaus. I get that you don’t like or approve of him but he’s their father,” I told him. “He gets as much as I say I do and I know what’d he say. Not to mention Freya said that Dahlia was drawn to Cordelia’s magic. No matter how far we go, she's still gonna be able to track us! At least this place is spelled - no one can do magic here. Not Cordelia or Dahlia.” 

“Sure, this place is spelled, but we've seen bigger magic than this break,” Victor pointed out. Oh please! Not you too. “I agree with Charles. We grab the kids and make our way to Mystic Falls.” Victor sat down next to me and I looked at him. “You can call Klaus when we get there because hopefully, he would have defeated Dahlia by then. If not we can ask Bonnie and your brothers for help.” 

“You’re making this case as if they are safer in Mystic Falls, which they aren’t, because all of you are forgetting my mother’s one of the few merry psycho residents there this year. Not to mention it's a risk either way.” I grabbed both of the twins and walked over before placing them in their cribs. “They’re just so little. It's not fair - witchcraft, magical spells. They didn't ask for any of this,” I sighed while looking down at them. 

Suddenly Hayley gasped and moved to stand next to me. I saw that she had an idea forming in her head. “...Which means that they wouldn't miss it if it was gone…” I turned to look at Victor, and see if he had any idea what she was talking about. “Alex, Vic, maybe that's it? Dahlia could only sense them when they’re using magic. So, what if there's a way of stopping them from doing it in the first place?” Hayley asked and I frowned.

“They’re just babies. How are you gonna do that?” I questioned. 

“I have an idea. Although... it's dangerous. Especially now,” Hayley replied and Daniel piped up.

“Let me do it,” Daniel said and we looked at him. 

“Ok,” Hayley agreed.

“Wait. What? No-” I said to them. “I’m not running. I’ve told you all this.”

“You have until tomorrow to give my sister over to that lunatic, Mom,” Charles stated and I looked at him. “Now I understand you don’t want to leave Klaus-” He glanced at the ring on my hand and I rubbed my thumb over it as he came closer to me. “I really do, but this is the only way to keep them safe. Not to mention Hayley has a way of making sure Dahlia can’t track us while we’re on the move.” I looked at all three of them before looking down at the twins. 

“Fine,” I agreed. “What’s your plan?”

“Klaus still has those chains that stop witches from doing magic right?” Hayley asked and I nodded while crossing my arms. “If we can get Davina to transfer the magic into something Cordelia and Leo can wear; they can’t do magic.” 

That was...actually a good plan. “Ok, then you need to make one for Leo too. Dahlia could easily track him as well as Cordelia.” They all nodded in agreement. “Daniel.” I turned to him. “In the living room, there’s a brown chest on the left bookshelf next to the fireplace. That’s where Klaus stores them. Get in and get out, because the second Klaus realizes what you’re doing...he’ll kill you,” I explained and Daniel nodded before speeding away. “Charles.” My son looked at me. “I need you and Hayley to go and get me some more stuff for the twins.” I pulled out a list from my jacket pocket. Hayley nodded then left with my son, leaving me alone with Victor. 

“This will work, Alex,” He told me. 

“You better hope it does,” I told him. “Because if Klaus works out what we’re doing...I won’t be able to save any of you from his wrath.”

~

Victor had left to meet up with Daniel. Charles and Hayley weren’t back from the shopping spree I sent them on. There was one werewolf guard in the club with me, but he kept his distance. Leo was sleeping in his crib and I was sitting back on the steps with Cordelia. She was practicing standing while holding on to both of my legs. “I don’t know what your dad and I are going to do once you both become mobile,” I sighed jokingly. “You’re growing up so fast. Soon, you’ll be talking too.” The idea of Klaus holding Cordelia in his arms and trying to get her to speak made me smile. “I’m sure your dad will make it his personal mission in life to get you to say ‘dadda’ before ‘mama.” 

I felt a tear run down my face as Cordelia looked around the room. I can’t leave Klaus. I won’t leave him. He deserves to be there when they first start walking and talking. When our daughter falls in love with a particular princess dress and won’t take it off. When Leo falls in love with knights and wants to fake a duel with his dad. Klaus should be present for all of that because no one knows how long we’ll be running before Dahlia bites the dust. He deserves to experience all those memories. Deserves happiness. 

I wiped away my tears and picked up my daughter as I held her to my chest. I’m not running and I’m not hiding. I’m done with that. However, Cordelia and Leo having a bracelet that can hide their magic is a good thing. Everyone thinks Klaus is losing his mind, but I know better. He has a plan. I can feel it in my gut. He won’t let the three of us down, and he won’t let them be taken from us. 

I looked up and suddenly saw green vines magically creeping up the inside walls of the building. They became so thick and numerous that eventually, they completely covered the windows. My hold on my daughter became more protective when I saw the veins start blooming with blood-red flowers. Dahlia. I fished my cell phone out to call Klaus but my phone wouldn’t work. Speeding over to the payphone to try and call Klaus or Elijah there too, but it wouldn't go through either. 

The guard came up to me and I turned to him. “I need you to go get help. Now!” I ordered and pushed him towards the door. I started to walk up slightly closer to the veins, then glanced over at Leo to see he was still asleep when I heard it. Dahlia’s tune caused me to freeze in the middle of the room as I held my daughter closer to me. 

I was pacing anxiously inside the safe house with Cordelia in my arms. The vines completely covered everything in the hallway outside of the spell. “It's okay, my angel,” I whispered to her. Dahlia’s footsteps were getting louder and closer to us, and I clutched Cordelia tightly to my chest. When Dahlia came into view and saw Cordelia, she clutched her heart and gasped. 

“What a beauty! Hello, my child.” I’m sorry, I don't think you gave birth to her. “I -” Dahlia started to walk into the room, but she stopped when she noticed the thick line of sand that was spread over the entire length of the doorway. It’s what sealed the witch's disruption spell within the room. “I was hoping for a more intimate chat. Though I sense by entering, you would have me at a considerable disadvantage,” Dahlia said.

“Why don't you come on in? I would love to show you some hybrid hospitality,” I sneered. 

“I only wanted to see the little one who has been promised to me. Won't be long now. Surely you've noticed the spell protecting you is growing weaker?” Dahlia mentioned although she phrased it like a question.

“If you lay a finger on her, I swear I will make you suffer in ways even your evil mind can't imagine,” I threatened her. Dahlia laughed but continued speaking to me in a kind and gentle tone in hopes of winning me over. 

“Alexandria, is it? I have no quarrel with you. Esther made this bargain long ago. It's most unfortunate you've been dragged into it,” She said. “Although I can sense the magic of your soulmate bond with Niklaus, meaning you would have been dragged into it anyway.”

“You talk like you don't have a choice...but this is your doing,” I reasoned, my voice breaking slightly in fear.

“When I give my word, I keep it. And I expect others to do the same. Esther and I made a bargain a long time ago...and so, you see, that child is rightfully mine,” Dahlia elaborated sharply and quickly pointed to my daughter. “The only question you need to ask is...would you deny me, knowing that it would leave another of your sons without a mother.” 

“You're not taking her,” I said furiously. Dahlia sighed and tried to remain patient with me, ultimately deciding to humor me a little.

“You're frightened for...” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Your child. Heh. I can assure you, anything that Freya might have told you about our life together, well, she always had a flair for the dramatic,” Dahlia said.

“It seems to run in the family,” I stated, unamused.

“Well, then, of course, _ most _ of my troubles with Freya stemmed from the fact that I came for her so late in life. You know, she had such a strong memory of the family that I took her from. But Cordelia is still young,” Dahlia explained and took a step forward. “She won't cling to the memory of her parents or brother, or cry for you in her sleep.” Cordelia was becoming fussy and digging her head into my chest, so I adjusted her in my arms. “Niklaus and you can take comfort in the fact that for  _ her _ it will be as if you three never existed.” 

How the hell are we supposed to find comfort in that? My hybrid eyes emerged in anger as I glared at Dahlia. “Come closer. Let's see how a witch with no magic does against me,” I challenged. Suddenly, Cordelia started to cry because she was sleepy, causing me to turn my attention back to her and my eyes to go back to normal.

“Oh...you've upset the child,” Dahlia shamed me as I began to rock Cordelia back and forth. “It's a pity - you ought not to waste your last hours with her this way. You should spend this time saying your farewells. Nightfall tomorrow will come all too soon. Goodbye for now…” Dahlia's eyes zeroed in on Cordelia. “Little one.” Then she flicked her wrist and left without a signal word as the veins started to retreat. When they were completely gone I pulled out my phone to call Klaus and this time the call went through.


	41. Chapter 40

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~Later that Night~

“ALEX!” Klaus shouted and I almost slapped him when he came rushing in with Elijah. Victor wasn’t back yet, but Hayley and Charles were. 

“Shh!” I scolded him and pointed to Cordelia's crib. Klaus walked over and checked on her as I followed him.

“Why didn’t you call us sooner?” Elijah asked and I turned to him on a dime. 

“You don’t think I did?!” I asked him. “I tried to call you guys! But since Dahlia was able to take down both Klaus and Mikael, I'm guessing that a cell phone tower was a piece of cake.” 

“And where were the wolves who stood guard?” Klaus asked unhappily as we moved to stand near the bar with Elijah.

“Getting their asses handed to them by Dahlia, just like you did,” Charles said to him frustrated, causing Klaus to glare at my eldest before turning to me. 

“Ok. That's it - you're coming with me to the compound,” Klaus ordered.

“Where Dahlia sent Josephine this morning? No way!” Charles intervened, before I had a chance to say anything, and came closer to us. “They’d be sitting ducks, just like they will be here as soon as that spell breaks.” My son then turned to me. “Which is why we have to go.” 

Elijah looked at me alarmed, and Klaus looked confused by what they meant. “Right, Alex?” Hayley asked behind me. Why did you have to say that Hayley? You’ve made everything slightly more complicated now. The bar went silent as I glanced at her over my shoulder. I just needed to buy time to get the bracelet before I could go back to the compound...where are you, Victor?

“Yes,” I whispered and my voice cracked. It killed me to agree to this plan. I coughed a bit and looked at Klaus, who was glaring at me, to make it convincing for my son and Hayley. If only Charles and Hayley hadn’t gotten here before Klaus. I could have explained everything. “Yeah...Charles and Hayley got all the supplies we need, then we are going to take the wolves and head to the Bayou.” It was breaking my heart to tell Klaus this bullshit of a plan. “We’re going to head to Mystic Falls to get Bonnie’s help unless you’ve killed the witch bitch by then...then I’ll just bring the twins home.”

“The swamp? So my children can be protected by the very wolves Dahlia so easily defeated? Absolutely not!” Klaus shouted and Charles aggressively got in my partner's face.

“You know, I am so over taking advice from you, Klaus. All it has done so far is put my baby sister in danger,” Charles growled. “From now on, I am going to do what I think is best for my family.” Charles grabbed my hand and began to take me away from Klaus. “We're leaving.” 

Klaus grabbed my arm and turned me around to him, yanking me back into his chest. Our eyes locked and he studied my face. I kept it blank so Charles didn’t catch on. I didn’t know if Hayley was good at reading people, but my son was. Sadly because of this Klaus couldn’t tell that I didn’t want to leave in the first place and that I was only stalling. “You're not going anywhere unless I tell you to,” Klaus growled.

“She is not your prisoner, Klaus!” Hayley shouted at him.

“All of you, please - we're playing into Dahlia's hands,” Elijah stated, trying to defuse the tension in the room. 

“Not doing as I say plays into her hands!” Klaus exclaimed, walking in front of all of us. “While you two have been kowtowing to Freya and devising ways to flee with your tail between your legs, I've been forging a new path. I know what Freya was planning, and I know how to kill Dahlia.” Klaus said and I sighed in relief. I knew it! Although I wish you started with that, so I could’ve made up a reason to stay with you. “Freya objected to us making a single weapon because it spoiled her plan-” Klaus began to explain but got interrupted. 

“KLAUS!” Victor’s voice rang through the club. We all turned towards the sound of his voice. 

“Victor?” I called out, confused. 

“KLAUS!” Victor shouted. He came running in with a body over his shoulder. He laid it on the table and I stumbled back when I saw it was Daniel. 

“Oh my god,” Hayley breathed out.

“No,” I whispered and sped over to his body. “No, no, no. Daniel please, please wake up!” I cried. Daniel had scratches on his neck and face. There was blood running down the side of his mouth and I let out a broken wine when I saw the hole in his chest. I grabbed onto his shirt as tears fell down my face. “ **_NO_ ** !” I screamed and my throat went horse afterward. I quickly looked up at Victor with my red puffy eye. He looked as upset as I did, maybe even worse considering the burning rage in his eyes as he stared at the state of his best friend's body. “What happened?” 

Victor’s furious gaze moved to Klaus, who was standing on the opposite side of the table, and I looked at him. Klaus seemed to be frozen in place while looking down at Daniel’s body. His eyes were glossy and he looked crestfallen at the sight before him. “Klaus made him spy on us,” Victor answered with venom dripping from his lips and I turned to him. “Instead, he told me everything-” I looked down and turned back to Klaus. “-so you killed him!” 

“Please,” I began to speak as my sadness turned to anger, and Klaus locked eyes with me. “Please tell me you didn’t kill Daniel. A member of our pack, not Hayley’s or Ansel’s... _ ours _ . A man who came to us with Victor for guidance and has been loyal to us, and our children, ever since the beginning.” 

Klaus stared at me and he seemed to be pleading for me to see something. See that it wasn’t him...and I wanted to, but the evidence in front of me was undeniable. For a split second, he looked heartbroken that Daniel was dead, shocked even, and surprised that I had to ask him this. However, all I needed was a verbal confirmation that he didn’t and I would stand by him. Those emotions were gone from his eyes quickly as he looked at everyone else in the room. Victor, Hayley, and Charles were convinced that Klaus killed him and Elijah was unsure about the truth at hand. However, I knew his older brother seemed to be hoping for the same thing I was. 

“So what if I did?” Klaus asked and I heard my heart shatter in my chest as I looked at Elijah in shock. Elijah only steps back slightly in surprise as well. Klaus pointed at Daniel as anger filled his eyes. “This is what happens to anyone who dares cross me!”

“Just give us the word, Victor,” Aiden said furiously.

“Yes! Come and have a go!” Klaus shouted and moved down the table as I followed him until the only person standing between us was Victor. “But you'll be putting your life on the line for one who is all too willing to betray you. Perhaps this never would have happened if he'd had a real Alpha.”

Victor grabbed him by the shoulder and punched Klaus straight in the jaw. Klaus shoved him back and the wolves caught him. I sped in between them and shoved Klaus away from Victor. I am not losing another person I love today. Klaus shoved me to the stage on our right and Elijah sped between Victor and Klaus before they ended up killing each other. I turned around and watched as Elijah held Victor back with a hand on his collarbone as he stood in front of Klaus protectively. 

“Do you wish to die?” Elijah asked him. I furiously shoved Elijah away from Victor as my golden eyes came out.

“You wanna kill me, too, Elijah?” I asked. The older original looked hurt but moved to stand in front of Klaus again. I moved to stand in front of Victor and noticed Klaus looking pleased with Elijah's stance in this situation.

“If you come at him...you come at me,” Elijah explained.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to go against you two, to protect the people I love,” I reminded them and Klaus’s gaze turned to me. Again that hurt glace hit me, but what surprised me was how honest it was. Definitely more honest than the smirk he was wearing on his lips at the moment.

“You lot should make better use of your time,” Klaus mocked. “I suggest burying your dead.” 

“ _ GET _ .  _ OUT _ .” I screamed at him, and my voice cracked.

“Niklaus, you mentioned a plan. I recommend you begin,” Elijah told him, looking away from me. “Alexandria and the twins are safe for the time being. They’re not going anywhere.” Klaus wore another smug smirk that never met his eyes either.

“Shan't be long,” Klaus whispered to us and he rushed out of the room. 

I looked at Elijah in disappointment before turning around again. I walked up slowly to Daniel’s body and lightly began to fix his hair because it was covering his face. My shoulder started to shake as I genuinely broke down since I first saw his corpse. A strong arm wrapped around me and pulled me into their chest. I knew it was Victor and let out another strangled cry as I stayed in his arms. 

My mind began to race over everything that happened tonight, but it kept getting stuck on one thing: Klaus’s face. More specifically when he saw Daniel’s body. His eyes were glossy and he looked as sad as Victor and me. It wasn’t until after he looked at everyone did his expression turn cold. Not to mention he hesitated to confess that he did it in the first place. Now if I know Klaus, and I do, when he kills someone for what he thinks is the greater good...he wouldn’t look surprised and  _ definitely _ wouldn’t have hesitated to tell us what he’d done. Also, that smug smile he had when looking at me from behind Elijah never quite met his eyes. 

“He didn’t do it,” I mumbled to myself and pulled away from Victor with a smile. 

“What?” Victor asked, having clearly not heard my words. He looked very concerned by my smile and I opened my mouth to tell him, but I knew he wouldn’t believe me. Victor was still too heartbroken to understand and he couldn’t read Klaus as well as I could. I stepped away from him and I felt everyone’s gaze on me. 

“I have to go,” I told them and Elijah turned to me confused.

“Go?” Elijah asked and I looked at him. 

“Yeah,” I answered, my smile never dropping. “Stay here with Victor and the twins. I’ll be back soon, I promise.” Elijah looked very confused and worried but nodded anyway, trusting my actions before I sped away. 

####  ~Somewhere in the Quarter~

Come on, where are you, Klaus? You couldn’t be that far away. I saw him walking down the street and sped him into an alleyway nearby. “If you’ve come here to punch me-”

“I know you didn’t kill Daniel,” I cut him off and he looked at me. Klaus stared at me as I walked up to him and cupped his face in my hands. I forced him to keep his gaze on me and I smiled when I saw the sadness in his eyes over our fallen friend. 

“Of course, I didn’t. How could I?” Klaus asked me rhetorically. “He is our pack and our family, and I’ve already made that mistake with Mary-Anne...I wasn’t going to repeat it with him. Not after everything he’s done to help us and protect our children.” 

I was both glad and confused about everything. “Then why confess?” I wondered.

“Because I need them to fear me, Alex,” Klaus responded. “However I knew you’d see through me...actually I was counting on it. That plan you wanted me to make against Dahlia...it’s in motion as we speak, but you have to trust me from now on.”

“I do. I trust you. I’ll always trust you,” I promised him. “And for the record, I wasn’t going to leave. I needed to stall them until Victor got back with these bracelets that can dampen Cordelia and Leo’s powers. That way when we went to the compound they’d be safe.” 

“I thought there’s was a good reason behind you agreeing to that stupid plan,” Klaus figured with a small laugh. “Go back to the club and get the twins. Bring them to the compound and I’ll fill you in on everything, ok?” I nodded in agreement and gave him a quick kiss. “When this is all over we’ll give Daniel a proper burial…”

“Ok,” I agreed and sped back to the club. 

####  ~At St. James Infirmary~

I walked back inside and saw Elijah smiling at Leo in his carrier as he slept, with a little silver bracelet around his wrist. All the wolves were gone outside and Hayley, Victor, and Charles weren’t inside. I looked over to see that all of Cordelia’s things were packed up and that she was nowhere in sight. “Elijah,” I said with a shaky voice. I saw the original bow his head before returning to stare at his nephew. “Where’s Cordelia and the others?”

“They left,” Elijah told me and turned around while buttoning up his jacket. I was furious and confused by what he meant. 

“What do you mean they left?” I asked him.

“They took Cordelia and Leo and went to the Bayou after pointing out an unfortunate truth to me that I hadn’t realized until now,” Elijah explained as I looked at him shocked. You let them take my daughter. “Now while I’m glad you bring out the best in my brother...it turns out your unconditional love for him has made you blind to the danger my niece is in.”

“If this is about Daniel...Klaus didn’t kill him,” I informed Elijah and he sighed as he walked up to me.

“Sadly, Alex, I do not believe you. Klaus had been off the rails since he killed Mikael last night and while I know you like to see the best of him...the truth of the matter is that Klaus never saw Daniel as more than a pawn on a chessboard,” Elijah explained and now we were standing a foot away from each other. 

“Klaus wouldn’t do that! He saw Daniel as his pack-”

“I know how difficult it must be for you to lose Daniel, but you're not thinking clearly,” Elijah stated, and placed his hand on my neck in a brotherly manner. “I’m sorry it had come to this.” I knitted my eyebrows together before Elijah twisted my neck and my body fell to the floor.

####  ~At the Compound~

I woke up with a gasp and looked around to see I was in my bedroom at the compound. I stood up and got off the bed quickly as my memories came rushing back to me. However, I stumbled when I felt like a dagger was sitting in my heart and my gaze found the coffin in my room. Stumbling over to it, I opened it to see Klaus’s desiccated body inside and gasped in horror. There was a goldened dagger in his heart like the silver ones he uses on his siblings. I went to grab it, but the metal burnt my hand and I stepped away in shock.

“Sorry about that,” Elijah hummed and I turned around to see him leaning against the doorway. “I had Rebekah spell it so you, specifically, couldn’t remove the dagger from him until Dahlia has been dealt with.” 

“He had a plan in motion, Elijah!” I shouted. “Klaus was going to keep Cordelia and Leo safe from Dahlia...but you couldn’t trust him long enough to let him explain, could you?” 

“I have stood by him and his diabolical plans long enough to know when he doesn’t have one that will work,” Elijah stated as he walked into the room. 

“No but you’d rather trust my daughter in the hands of anyone other than mine,” I snapped, disgusted by his choices. 

“With you in this current state of mind...yes I would,” Elijah replied calmly and Freya walked up behind him. He looked at her over his shoulder. “Is it done?”

“Yes, the spell should keep her asleep, and only awaken her when Klaus is undaggered,” Freya told him and I felt tears gather in my eyes at her words. Elijah turned away from me and looked to Freya.

“Then you know what to do,” Elijah told her and walked out of the room. Freya looked at me and began to raise her hands. I sped at her as she began to chant before my world went black again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm sorry for the pain I've caused to both you (my readers) and Alex...


	42. Chapter 41

###  Alex’s P.O.V

“Alex.” Someone shook my shoulders. “Alexandria, it’s time to wake up now sweetheart,” Klaus said and I opened my eyes to see him leaning over me. I knew that dagger wouldn’t hold him for long. The sun was bright in my eyes and I pushed myself up looking around, then stopping when I saw Dahlia.

“You bitch!” I yelled and sped up to grab her, but Klaus was quick to grab my waist. He held me back, and I looked at him confused. “What are you doing?!”

“He's hearing me out,” Dahlia answered and I looked at her in rage. Then I shifted my eyes back to Klaus and he gave me a look that said ‘go with it.’ “Now I understand you must be angry with me-”

“Oh, I’m  _ way _ past anger.” I looked around and saw we were in some kind of primitive village, not New Orleans. The birds were chirping loudly as we stood in front of someone's hovel as I looked back at Klaus. “Let go of me, Klaus,” I ordered. He gave me a look before hesitantly letting go of me, and I turned to Dahlia. “Where have you taken us?”

“Nowhere,” Dahlia replied. “You're still sleeping because Freya linked you to your love.” I turned to Klaus and noticed the little hole in his shirt, surrounded by blood.

“Then I must kindly ask you to leave my head,” I stated, mocking politeness.

“We’re not in your head, love,” I looked at Klaus in confusion. He only turned to look at Dahlia again who was smiling at us. “We’re in hers.” Wonderful. This is the last place I want to be. 

“Meaning you both have no choice but to listen,” Dahlia elaborated. “I have a proposition for you.” Dahlia pushed off against the stone wall she was leaning on. “Come along.” 

“Spare us the agonizing boredom and explain what it is you want,” Klaus demanded as we followed behind her. 

“Quiet,” She ordered. Dahlia leaned against the wall and looked out among the village causing me to follow her gaze. It was a happy village, and I heard kids laughing in the distance. It made me think about Cordelia and Leo, and how I was going to rip Elijah apart for his betrayal.

“I’ve no use for demented dreamscapes,” Klaus told her. 

“Niklaus. Alexandria.” God, I wish I could kill this woman. “Listen,” Dahlia told us. 

We looked at each other as I slipped my hand into Klaus’s gently before we heard swords and villagers screaming in the distance. Soon we could see an invading group of people killing off the villagers as they ran away from them. Vikings, I’m assuming, given this event happened over a thousand years ago. My gaze watched as two young girls ran in between Dahlia and Klaus. One was in an old, worn-out red gown with long black hair. While the other was wearing a bright yellow dress and a flower crown with long blonde hair. 

Dahlia turned to follow them, as did we and watched as the two young girls hid behind a dark brown wheelbarrow full of hey. “ _ The Vikings came while you were in the garden _ ,” The young blonde explained. “ _ I’m scared _ , _ Dahlia _ .” Oh! So that’s Esther. 

“ _ Don’t be _ ,” Younger Dahlia said and placed a hand on Esther's face. “ _ I will protect us _ , _ Esther _ .” The three of us moved to see the two sisters better, and I noticed they were clutching onto each other's hands. “ _ But come what may _ , _ we must remain together _ . _ Always and forever _ .” That’s an origin story I didn’t know I needed. “ _ Promise _ .”

“ _ I promise _ ,” Esther replied to her sister. 

The two of them leaned their foreheads together and started to hum the same tune Dahlia keeps singing. My eyes widened a bit when a Viking came out of nowhere and grabbed Esther from behind, then began to drag her away. Dahlia followed after them swiftly as Esther yelled for her sister and they kept trying to grab each other's hands. “ _ Leave her be _ !” Younger Dahlia screamed at the Viking and threw her hand out causing him to fly backward, letting go of Esther. Then two more Vikings showed up and placed a bag over both of the sister’s heads as they screamed for them to stop, before dragging the siblings away. 

“Let me guess. The Vikings slaughtered the entire village?” I asked her insensitively, she glared at me but I didn’t meet her gaze. Dahlia then turned back to watch the scene before us. 

“Esther and I were the only ones who survived,” She confirmed and I looked down at the floor for a moment. “We promised to stay together.”

“Yes, always and forever. A familiar promise, but then you knew that. I suppose you think that makes us kindreds,” Klaus said and she sighed, as she turned her head to him.

“Not exactly,” Dahlia replied and we looked at her. “What I mean to show you is that we can be allies.” 

~

Dahlia led us into a large hovel, that was dark and grey inside covered in different ingredients for different spells. “Charming,” Klaus commented as he walked further inside. I leaned against a pillar with my arms crossed over my chest behind them. 

“This dismal hovel is where I endured the terrors of Viking captivity…” Dahlia explained and lightly touched something hanging from the ceiling. “For years.” She then pointed towards the door. 

The latch of the door opened and a Viking dragged a struggling young Dahlia into the room. Once he was far enough inside, he threw her on the ground like a rag doll before leaving her inside. Young Dahlia wiped off her face and moved to the long wooden table to my left. I moved around the pillar to get closer and watch what she was doing. 

“I performed the dark magic they demanded…” Dahlia said and moved closer to herself while Klaus moved to my side. “So that Esther would be free of their violent abuse.” Younger Dahlia cut open a snake on the table. “While she was out in the sun gathering herbs, I toiled in the gray of this room but I never resented her. We’d made a promise.” Younger Dahlia then took the snake's insides and twisted the blood out of them to pour it over something I couldn’t see. 

“Is this your feeble attempt to garner sympathy?” Klaus asked her. “To what end? No ancient plight will ever justify your intention to enslave our daughter.”

“Oh, Niklaus, our plights are the same,” Dahlia scoffed. 

The three of us looked to the door when we heard the latch open. Esther came inside and young Dahlia looked at her before noticing the lovesick smile on her sister’s face. Klaus moved a bit to look at the younger version of his mother and how happy she was. I looked at him and the tiny shock on his face. Has he never seen his mother this happy? Then again I never saw Lily that happy either. 

Esther gestured to the flowers in her hand while giving a little laugh. “ _ You’ve been with Mikael _ ,” Young Dahlia said to Esther. 

“ _ We were only talking _ ,” Esther reasoned, noticing her older sister’s disapproval. Young Dahlia gave her a tiny smile in forgiveness as she picked up her blood-covered object, while Esther put the herbs down on a table. 

“ _ No matter _ . _ I have something to show you _ ,” She said with joy and I moved over to Klaus’s side. Esther turned to her in curiosity before looking at the thing in her hand. “ _ This is potent sage soaked in serpent’s blood _ . _ It will give us strength _ . _ We can get out of this place _ . _ Esther _ , _ together _ , _ we can live forever _ .”

“ _ Dahlia _ , _ stop _ ,” Esther commanded her sister. “ _ I no longer wish to practice magic _ .” 

“ _ Magic has kept us alive _ ,” Younger Dahlia augured.

“ _ Mikael will protect me now _ , _ sister _ ,” Esther said with a reassuring smile. “ _ We plan to marry _ , _ have a family _ .” I looked towards Dahlia and saw her eyes gloss over. This must have been the worst day of her life. Then I thought back to Damon when I confessed my feelings for Klaus for the first time. Sure it wasn’t the same situation...but it was pretty close. 

“ _ Are you _ ?” Younger Dahlia asked her. “ _ I am your family _ . _ I am your sister _ . _ We promised each _ -”

“ _ You will always be my sister _ , _ Dahlia _ ,” Esther cut her off. “ _ But I wish for children of my own _ . _ And _ ... _ I love him _ .” They looked away from each other, Dahlia being heartbroken and Esther feeling guilty for what her heart wanted. 

Esther went to leave when her sister grabbed her arm. “ _ Stay _ , _ Esther _ . _ Let’s sing our song _ .” Young Dahlia begged.

Esther grabbed her sister’s wrist and shoved her away while saying, “ _ I don’t remember that silly little tun anymore _ , _ Dahlia _ .” 

Esther then examined the bloodstain on her clothes where her sister’s hand was. Esther sighed and walked out of the hovel. Klaus and I looked back over to young Dahlia to see her rubbing the sage stick while humming her tune before she fell to her knees and started crying. Dahlia walked around her younger self and squatted down in front of her. Wait a moment. Dahlia’s eyes were glossed over from watching the memory of the sister she loved and protected, leaving her behind for one of her oppressors. If that memory still hurts her now...that means the person she truly loves is Esther...not Freya. Thank God Klaus explained all her weaknesses to me last night.

I walked up behind the younger version of Dahlia. “So Esther stabbed you in the back. Sorry, you might have to excuse my lack of shock, considering all your recent actions towards my children,” I told her. 

“She left me for one of the very men who slaughtered our village and stole us away. My own sister abandoned me. Just as the people you consider family has done.” Dahlia told me. I’m assuming you're talking about Charles, Victor, Hayley, and the Mikaelson siblings. Damon and Stefan are kinda unaware of anything going on right now, and I don’t really see Lily as my mother anymore. I looked at Klaus and sighed. “And like you both...I have been unjustly painted as the villain of the story.” Actually, I’m pretty sure I’m the only person here who got  _ manipulated _ by the villain of  _ their _ story. 

Younger Dahlia got up and started to push everything off the table in anger as she screamed. I turned back to Dahlia as Klaus walked up to us. “If you have a deal to propose, then find my body and undagger me,” Klaus insisted. 

“Oh.” Dahlia stood up and walked to her younger self, causing us to turn towards her again. “I have the means to undagger you and wake your wife-to-be from her slumber. I’m just not finished here.”

“I don’t care about my mother,” Klaus exclaimed. 

“What I show you next is not about your mother, it’s about your daughter,” Dahlia told him quickly. “And if you two have any chance to save her from what is to come...I suggest you listen.”


	43. Chapter 42

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Klaus and I were following Dahlia as she led us through a forest. I held Klaus’s hand again because I was worried about what we were going to watch next. The way Dahlia talked made it sound scaringly important. “Very cliche. Tell me, did you inspire the witches of Grimm lore?” Klaus asked her, mockingly. “Enslaving a young girl in a hut on the edge of the dark forest. I suppose you plan for this to be Cordelia’s fate.”

“I did not enslave Freya. I kept her from those who abused our craft, demonized us...and most importantly, I shielded her from herself,” Dahlia explained.

A slightly younger version of Freya walked in between Dahlia and me. We watched as she moved to stand over a fire pit in front of us. Freya threw two small yellow flowers into the fire and lifted her hand making the flame grow enormous, then she held it at that size in anger. A younger, but not as quiet as young, version of Dahlia ran out of the tiny wooden hut to my left. 

“ _ Freya _ ?” Dahlia asked her worriedly and rushed over to her. “ _ Freya _ ,  _ Freya _ .” Freya let the fire grow small and Dahlia looked into the pit confused. “ _ Where did you get the yarrow flower _ ?” She asked her, then realized what she had done. “ _ You cannot go past the stream _ .  _ It is too dangerous _ .”

“ _ Then where shall I go _ ?” Freya asked her furiously. “ _ To the hovel _ ?  _ Or maybe your garden _ ?  _ Oh _ ,  _ no _ ,  _ I’m not allowed to venture that far. I might encounter another person and you would not stand for that _ .”

“ _ People are frightened of that which they do not understand _ .  _ They will only hate you _ ,” Dahlia told her calmly. 

“ _ I hate this place _ !” Freya screamed and I knew a temper tantrum when I saw one. “ _ I want to see more than the same trees _ ,  _ the same hills _ ,  _ a face that isn’t yours _ .” 

Freya started to cast a spell, and Dahlia said, “ _ Freya _ .  _ Control it _ .” Freya started groaning and holding her head in pain as the wind blew harshly around them. “ _ Control yourself _ !  _ Freya _ ,  _ focus _ !” Freya’s nose started to bleed and she began coughing blood, and I squeezed Klaus's hand. Is this what’s going to happen to Cordelia? The birds around Freya and Dahlia began to fall from the sky as she lost control. “ _ Freya _ !  _ Oh my god _ .” Freya screamed and fell to her knees, then Dahlia brought Freya into her arms. She moved to hold Freya’s face in front of her. “ _ Sing with me _ .  _ Calm your heart _ .” 

They started to hum and the storm calmed down until it stopped while Freya broke into a fit of sobs. “She was completely out of control,” I muttered. 

“Firstborn witches in this bloodline possess devastating power,” Dahlia told me. 

“You’re saying this is what’s to come for Cordelia,” Klaus pondered as he let go of my hand and walked up to the two women. 

“And how did you hone your own power if it’s so devastating?” I asked her.

“I had my mother who was the firstborn of her line to teach me how to control my powers. As for your daughter, she will suffer far more than Freya,” Dahlia corrected. “Cordelia’s magic will be tainted with your vampire blood as well as the aggressive wolf temperament.” This caused Klaus and I to look at each other before both of our gazes went back to Dahlia. “Without the proper tutelage that only I can provide Cordelia’s power will grow unchecked. She will lash out at everyone, including you two.” Dahlia moved to stand directly across from Klaus. 

“She’ll devastate the city that you love and then her terror will spread far beyond.” I wrapped my arms around my stomach, feeling very worried and uncomfortable for my child. However, I didn’t believe she would cause terror. Not on purpose. “I, too, am a firstborn, so I was the only one to help save Freya from herself. Just as I’m the only one who can save your daughter. You see Niklaus,” Dahlia said and looked over at me. “Alexandria, you need me.” Young Dahlia and Freya got up and made their way into their hut behind Klaus, while Klaus and I stayed silent. “Your daughter will need my guidance.” Dahlia bent down and picked up a dead crow. “Just as Freya did.”

“I think we’ll find someone less hostile to teach her,” Klaus stated. “Shouldn’t be difficult. Anyone will fit the criteria.”

“Will you be interviewing tutors while you lie desiccated?” Dahlia asked him while examining the bird. This wholesales pitch that she’s making to us doesn’t make sense. If she simply wanted to teach Cordelia how to control her power; why did she need to take her away from us? “While Alexandria can be woken up by Freya at any moment, how long do you think Rebekah and Elijah will wait until they wake you up too? How old will your twins be?” I would have budded in, but considering how the dagger is literally spelled to keep me from doing that, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

Klaus walked up to her. “After twice failing to create a family of your own, now you wish to commandeer ours? Not gonna happen, sweetheart,” He told her and Dahlia turned to him confused.

“Family? Family only ever brought me pain,” Dahlia stated. She then looked back at a dreamcatcher behind her. “I want power. I am owed Cordelia’s and without it, I will slumber again within the year. Freya turned on me because I denied her a basic need: The love of a parent.” I knitted my eyebrows in confusion and Dahlia took a step closer to us. “That is why I need you, Niklaus and Alexandria...to remain her parents.” I definitely didn’t see this coming.

“And what of Leo?” I asked and Dahlia looked at me. “Are we to leave our son behind so we can keep our daughter?”

“No,” Dahlia answered. “Leo will come with you.” Klaus and I looked at each other shocked by this revelation before moving closer to her. “Try to imagine this. You will get to raise your children together...and I will channel the magic that has been promised to me...and in doing so, I would help Cordelia to hone her craft that you couldn’t possibly comprehend.” This sounded way too good to be true and I could tell Klaus was thinking the same thing. “With us by your side, no one would ever test you ever again. Or you could lie there and pray that Elijah releases you before Cordelia learns to call Hayley and Victor ‘mommy and daddy.”

I clenched my jaw in annoyance at that idea, but I also knew Dahlia was saying it to get into Klaus' head. Dahlia moved over to a small table nearby as I looked at Klaus. I hope he realized that I didn’t trust her, because I don’t, but I am worried that some of what she said about our daughter’s magic is true. Thank god she isn’t the only firstborn Mikaelson we know.

“By all means think it over. Though know this, I shall not ask twice,” Dahlia warned us. 

“In my experience, an offer from a malevolent witch...always comes with a catch,” Klaus stated and walked in front of her with me following. “What’s yours?”

“Your son,” Dahlia said and turned to me. “He is their brother. Considering how his father and other brother are dead, he will fight us when we try to leave. For us to succeed and live in peace...Charles will have to be eliminated.” Welp that’s never happening.

“You would have me kill my own son so my other children can grow to hate me?” I asked her.

“When they grow, you can tell them whatever story you like,” Dahlia answered. She moved around the table, closer to Klaus, and turned to him. Dahlia blew some sand into his face and Klaus fell to his knees before disappearing. The witch turned back to me and I looked at her alarmed. “But in the end, the truth is...you will have made the right choice for Cordelia.”

####  *Reality*

I opened my eyes and sat up in bed instantly, to see Klaus getting out of his coffin. I sped over to him and helped him up since I knew he’d be weak. While I was linked to him being daggered, it only felt as if I had awakened from a nap. Once he was standing up I looked over to see the door to the nursery was open. I rushed in and saw Leo laying in his crib staring up at me. I grabbed him and brought him into my arms, before walking back over to Klaus. 

He touched Leo’s head softly before we sped away from the compound. The last thing we wanted was for Elijah, Freya, and Rebekah to realize we were awake. Klaus still had the dagger in his hand and pocketed it while I held Leo on my hip. We were a few blocks away from the compound, in an alleyway that had barely any light coming into it. 

“So?” I asked him. “What do we do? Whatever plan you had in motion will fail now that we know Freya wasn’t the one she loves the most and I don’t want to kill Charles in exchange for being a part of my daughter's life.”

Klaus leaned against the wall across from me and sighed as he thought to himself. He looked at me weakly before he stood up again. “Not to mention my siblings will stand against me. I need to make her trust us so we can get close to her,” Klaus said. 

“You want to double-cross her?” I asked and adjusted Leo on my hip. He had laid his head down and was falling asleep in my arms. Klaus nodded and I quickly thought to myself for a moment. “Why?”

“I need to get her to link to me. Then I can stick this dagger in my heart again, but that means when I say stay put with Leo...do it,” Klaus told me. “If anyone could calm my siblings down enough to listen to reason, even if they don’t trust us...it would be you.”

“Why me?”

“Because I happen to know you won't give up until they listen and believe you.”

“Ok. I trust you and whatever you're about to do...I’ll go along with it. However Hayley and Victor need to pay for taking our daughter, and we need to work out a way to not kill-” I gasped as I got an idea. It was cruel but it would work. “The curse.”

“The curse?” Klaus asked.

“The Crescent curse. If we put that back on the pack then we don’t have to kill Charles and it’s cruel enough in nature that Dahlia will trust us,” I explained.

“Alright, love,” He agreed. “But let’s go meet up with Dahlia before she thinks we’ve declined her offer.” 

My phone began to buzz and I paused in my tracks. “Wait.” I looked to see Victor had left me a text. 

It read:  _ I don’t know when you’ll see this, but I want you to know that Hayley and I gave Daniel a proper Crescent funeral. Josh was there to say his goodbyes and Cordelia will safely be brought to Mystic Falls. Even if she is free of Dahlia’s curse, she doesn’t deserve to be a Mikaelson. Cordelia deserves more than the pain that comes along with being Klaus’s daughter. I wish you could be here, Alex, and I’m sorry. - Victor.  _

I looked up at Klaus with tears in my eyes and crushed my phone in my hand before dropping it. “Let’s go,” I sneered and took Klaus' hand before he sped us away.

####  ~At the Cemetery~

Klaus and I walked into the tomb, the gate squeaking as we entered, and happily, it didn’t wake up Leo. We turned a corner up ahead and saw Dahlia sitting in front of a bowl, stirring a large amount of blood inside. “I knew you were the smartest in the bunch, and I see you brought little Leo with you,” Dahlia said to us with a smile. 

“Well, it’s not like I was going to leave my son with the backstabbing fraud Elijah Mikaelson,” I shot back. 

“I’m glad to see you’ve made the right decision,” Dahlia said.

“My supposed best friend and son have stolen my child, and they intend to bring her to a town more dangerous than this city,” I informed her. 

“But you should know…” Klaus budded in, his voice still weak. “The rest of my family will stand against us in defense of her.”

“We will have to go through them,” Dahlia replied. “Are you both prepared for that?”

“For our daughter,” Klaus began. “They have more than earned everything that is to come.” We walked closer to her and sat down in front of her little table. 

“We need to hurry. Even now, Charles is attempting to flee with his sister.” I told her, acting desperate.

“Hm. Don’t worry, darling,” Dahlia said to me. I watched as she picked up a smudge stick and began to stir the blood inside while casting a spell. “He won’t get far tonight.” Klaus and I looked inside to see storm clouds reflection in the blood. Dahlia blew on the spell and I heard a lightning crackle in the distance as a storm began. The witch then looked at both of us with a smile, to which we returned. Step one: done. Now onto step two.


	44. Chapter 43

###  Alex’s P.O.V

Klaus told me to take Leo to the bell tower and wait for him and Dahlia to return. I knew what he was doing; he was having dinner. I told him to pick up some supplies for Leo on the way back. We wanted them all to pay, but I also knew everything to come was one big trick. Just to get Dahlia to not question our loyalty. Leo was crying again because of the storm and I bounced him up and down while pacing in the little room. 

“I know, my little lion, but it’s ok. We’re safe as long as we go along with whatever malicious plan your dad has in store for your Uncles and Aunts to gain the wicked witch’s trust,” I whispered to him and kissed his head. “Then we’ll get your sister back, and your dad and I will get married, and we’ll be one big happy family.” Talking to Leo seemed to calm him down a bit. Leo was still scared of the storm, but he wasn’t crying as loudly as before. “Hey, maybe we’ll go see your Uncles in Mystic Falls after all this. I’m sure Damon and Stefan would love to see you and your sister again...then, of course, Lily’s also there, and technically your grandmother even though  _ my _ mother died in 1855-” 

Klaus suddenly walked into the room and I sighed with a smile. He placed a baby carrier on the table with a pack of diapers, some baby food, and clothes. Klaus touched Leo’s head affectionately then kissed the top of it before looking at me. “No one saw you, right?” Klaus asked.

“Give me some credit,” I scoffed. “I have done this before and, if I remember correctly, I was running from you.”

“Yeah, and I found you,” Klaus replied. He seemed back to his old self which told me he fed enough and I was glad. 

“No one saw us,” I told him, with a reassuring smile then gave him a peck on the lips. 

I took the supplies out of the carrier before laying Leo down inside. He needed to be fed and have a diaper change. Talking about food, I needed a blood bag or a hot vein to tap in on. I looked up at Klaus as he looked out at the city below through the old shudders in this tower. Talk about another noise that won’t let my son calm down. 

“Hey did you get me a blood bag?” I asked him and Klaus reached inside his jacket before placing it on the counter. “Thank you.” I pulled the blood bag closer to me as Klaus went to his original position and I set up a makeshift diaper changing station. 

Dahlia walked up to Klaus as I began to change Leo’s diaper. I will honestly never understand how a baby can produce this much poop. Once Leo had a new diaper on and was back in his carrier I realized he had calmed down immensely. So that’s what’s been bothering you?

Klaus's phone rang as I prepared some food for Leo. “Who’s that?” I asked him. 

“Just my therapist. No doubt Rebekah called her to try and appeal to my good nature...now that you can’t do it for them,” Klaus replied while declining the call. 

I hummed in amusement as Dahlia spoke to us, “My deadline has come and gone, and yet you bring me here.”

“I find it fitting,” He told her. “This is where Freya plotted her own treachery.”

“When I granted you the strength to overcome that dagger’s curse I assumed you both would thank me by taking swift and merciless action,” Dahlia explained. Oh, we will...just not yet. 

Klaus laughed lightly as he moved to stand by me as I continued to feed our son in his carrier. Leo was smiling as I put food in his mouth and I smiled in return while his father kept talking. “Are we to trapeze around in this monsoon you’ve created with Leo?” Klaus asked her.

Dahlia blew into her hand and caused Klaus to have a headache. “This storm is to stop her family from running with your daughter,” Dahlia stated. “So I wonder: are you two having second thoughts about standing against them? They are the family, after all, who left you both to rot.”

Klaus looked up at her with stone-cold anger at that reminder while I put the empty jar of baby food down. “I can assure you we are not having second thoughts,” I growled.

“We struck a bargain for the benefit of your daughter,” Dahlia told me as she walked up to the other side of the table. “So that she would be delivered to me safely and be content by the presence of her parents and brother. But make no mistake, I will take her with or without you.”

“Let me be clear about one thing, witch.” Dahlia looked at Klaus. “You need us. I know my siblings better than anyone just as Alex knows her pack, their strengths, their weaknesses. They are a powerful and determined lot.” Dahlia turned around and started walking back to the window. “Perhaps cable of evading you for the short year you have…” Dahlia stopped in her tracks. “Until your slumber begins anew. You may well lose everything.” Klaus walked up to her and stood directly behind her. “But I know how to vanquish those who would dare lay a hand on Alex or my children and stand against us, and that is exactly what I intend to do,” Klaus explained to her. 

Dahlia waved her hand and the storm settled down. I smiled down at Leo who looked around curiously now that the big noise was gone. Klaus turned to me with a smirk as Dahlia spoke to us, “The storm has served its purpose. Now, enough delays. I will take what is owed to me, and if their brother resists or attempts to run, I will end him myself.”

“Oh, no need to worry about that,” I said and she turned to us. I was standing next to Klaus, as we were getting ready to leave, and smiled at her evilly. “There’s a curse that was put on the pack years ago fashionably named the Crescent curse. It’s a spell that flops nature around meaning the pack will only be able to turn human on a full moon, but you will need to adjust it for their new hybrid nature.”

“Won’t that affect you too?” Dahlia asked.

“That’s where you come in. I’m sure a witch as powerful as yourself can come up with a potion that will protect Alex from the effects of the curse,” Klaus told her.

“And with this in place...Charles and the pack will no longer be a threat, and we keep our bargain on letting Cordelia keep her parents,” I explained to her. Klaus then led Leo and me out of the tower as we started to put the plan he had for his siblings in motion. 

####  ~At Marcel’s Apartment~

I was gently pushing Leo’s crib on top of Marcel’s personal bar. I had to wash my hands after killing everyone in the apartment but Gia, Marcel, and Erica with Klaus. Marcel was currently tied up to the ceiling upside down while Klaus drained the blood out of him. Dahlia sat a few feet away from me with her feet resting on the table. I took Leo out of his carrier and held him into my arms before walking over to the one place in the apartment that wasn’t covered in blood. I sat down and put Leo down between my legs. He smiled at me as he used his arms to hold himself up.

“He’s going to be walking soon,” Klaus commented and I looked up at him. 

“Did you find it?” I asked him

“Yes, darling, I found the curse,” Klaus said. 

“Then do you mind handing it over to Dahlia, so she can find a way to not make it affect me,” I told him. 

“You do realize a King does not bow down to his Queen,” Klaus told me while handing Dahlia the spell. 

“That’s exactly what he does,” I stated which caused Klaus to smirk playfully, and raise his eyebrows to challenge my statement. Dahlia studied the spell and looked over at me. 

“The antidote is quite simple, it should only take me a moment to create it,” Dahlia said. 

“Then get to it,” Klaus replied. “I need to know Alex will be safe before I give sleeping Marcellus his task for the day.”

“I trust you know I’ll be able to track you down if you run,” Dahlia told him as she stood up.

“Why would we run?” I asked her. “We made a bargain after all.” Dahlia gave me a look before she disappeared and I sighed before looking at Klaus. He stabbed Marcel again and I stood up with our son before walking up to him. “You want to explain why you're doing this?”

“I’m going to drain Marcel of his vervain, then compel him to kill Rebekah in her witch body if she tries to leave whatever room I put them into,” Klaus told me. “However you may need to hide in the compound with Leo. Once we leave, you need to pull Papa Tunde’s blade from his chest, then explain our plan to Elijah. He can get the rest of my family to retrieve Esther’s blood. I’ll keep our daughter safe in the meantime.” 

“And what will you say to Dahlia? I mean she knows the curse is my idea,” I told him. 

“We’ve been lying to her this entire time, Alexandria,” Klaus said. “I can easily tell her that you’re making sure Marcel does what he’s told.” 

Dahlia showed back up and had a vial of a smooth, thick green potion in her hand. “Is that it?” I asked as I walked closer to her until we were a few feet away. 

“Yes, this…” Dahlia gestured to the vial in her hand. “Well make you completely immune to the curse's effects. Take this once and the curse will never harm you,” She explained and held it out for me to take. I took it and stared at it for a while, before looking back at her. 

I flipped up off the cap and sighed. “Bottoms up,” I said then downed the thing. Even if it doesn’t work, I’d be a fool not to take this risk rather than risk losing Dahlia's trust in us. I placed the empty vial on the counter as Klaus began to circle Marcel again. 

“Wakey, wakey,” Klaus said to him and Marcel woke up. The vampire looked up at his predicament and struggled as he tried to move. Dahlia sat down at the bar as I watched Klaus and Marcel. “I was getting bored. But then some of your associates popped by to keep Alex and me entertained.” Klaus showed him the bloody dagger with a smile.

“Keep them out of this,” Marcel growled and tried to lunge at Klaus.

“Easy. Easy. You’ve suffered a substantial amount of blood loss,” Klaus told him, before walking around to standing behind the tied up vampire. “I had to excise the vervain from your system. But then, I can’t have you impervious to my compulsion now, can I?” Klaus then turned and stabbed Marcel in the stomach, as Marcel screamed out in pain. Klaus pulled out the dagger and turned to the couch in between us. Erica and Gia were lying unconscious on top of it. Klaus focused all his attention on Gia however, with an amused smile. “Hello,” He whispered to Gia. “Pretty. I think you’re gonna come in rather useful…later on.”

“You’ve got what you came for. Just kill them and be done with it,” Dahlia said, clearly fed up with Klaus's punishments. Honestly, witch did you not think he was going to make this as antagonizing as possible for them. If you didn’t, clearly you didn’t do enough research on your nephew.

“With respect... _ dear _ aunt Dahlia, this is all part of my plan,” Klaus told her as he walked around the room. Yup, that’s exactly my point. “My family, powerful though they may be, are bound by love…” Klaus walked closer to her as I put Leo back in his carrier. “Vows of friendship, and nauseating romantic entanglements. All of which I intend to use against them.” Dahlia smiled at him. “Marcellus will help turn the tide. Mark my words.” My fiancé turned and walked back over to Marcel. “By day’s end, they will be laid low...and my daughter will be safe..with us.”


	45. Chapter 44

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~Later at Night~

I snuck into the compound with Leo without anyone noticing...and in all honesty, if Finn could do it without vampire abilities, anyone could. I was in the nursery where I stayed as the most difficult and believable part of Klaus’s plan started downstairs. Leo was sucking on his pacifier while he slept in his crib quietly. I was sitting on the floor next to his crib until Klaus sends me a text saying to come downstairs. Next to me was Cordelia’s empty crib and I broke my gaze away from it as I leaned my forehead against the wall. I could hear Elijah and Klaus fighting downstairs and I hated that we had to do this in the first place. Elijah made his bed though when he let Victor run off with my daughter. No doubt everything Klaus was accusing him of was true. 

It’s in times like these that I wonder what my brothers are up to now. They were probably only dealing with Caroline being emotionless and Lily wanting her lunatic friends back. God those problems are so much simpler than ours. Here we have to make our own family believe we are betraying them so we can save our stolen daughter. It shouldn’t be like this. 

I wonder what Daniel would think about all this. He’d probably think it was crazy and that there was another way to handle things. Daniel wouldn’t let Victor run away with my daughter; he’d stand by me. A tear ran down my cheek in the memory of my friend. He had such a good heart and kind spirit. The voice of reason when I needed it and now he was gone. At least I could save Victor, Hayley, and Charles from Dahlia’s power by cursing them. I didn’t want to do this, but it was the only way I could protect my eldest son without sacrificing my daughter. 

Opening my eyes I looked down at the ring on my left finger, and how it shined in the moonlight. It was a symbol of the one constant thing in my life just like the locket around my neck. I smiled weakly as I sat there in the room twisting my engagement ring on my finger. 

I guess I’ll get the wedding I always wanted when this is all over. Maybe I should call Caroline to help me plan it because I doubt Rebekah will want to help me after today. Klaus and I will be lucky if any of his siblings will want to come to our wedding. Hopefully, I’ll get Elijah to trust me today and he’ll come. I know Damon, Elena - because she’ll be Damon’s plus one - Stefan, Alaric, Bonnie and Caroline will as well...for me at the very least. But I’m not inviting Lily. She didn’t attend the first wedding, so why should she attend the second.

Nevertheless that bitch isn’t my mother anymore. She left the three of us with a monster who killed us in the end. Then she never decided to come back once she knew we were vampires. Never decided to give us a bullshit excuse about how she couldn’t be around us while we were human. 

My phone buzzed and I saw a text saying to follow behind Marcel as he drags Rebekah to the courtyard. Dear God, I’m trusting you not to screw this up, Klaus. I sped downstairs and followed behind Marcel in the hallway then leaned against the doorway in which they walked out. In the courtyard, I saw Gia’s burnt corpse. Klaus killed Gia. Why did he kill her? My gaze then found Elijah’s chest heaving in pain from the blade and Dahlia standing off to the side. Klaus turned to Rebekah, who was in those anti-magical chains we owned, and Marcel, who was holding Rebekah back from attacking Klaus. 

“Have you lost your mind?” Rebekah asked him.

“My mind is quite clear,” Klaus told her. “I just decided to purge it of treacherous barnacles.”

“You bastard! How could you?” Rebekah sneered at him.

“Actually, it was rather simple. I just recalled what Elijah did to Alexandria and I and reciprocated tenfold,” Klaus answered and began to walk up to her. “Be careful, or I’ll apply the same equation to you. Marcellus, keep Rebekah here. If she tries to leave - well, you do enjoy life as a mortal. You can punish her by taking that life away. However if you don’t do it by the end of the night, Alexandria will do it for you. Mind you, she will not make it quick and painless.” 

Marcel turned and looked at me standing behind them, to which I smirked at him. “Go to hell,” Marcel said while looking back at Klaus. 

“If by “hell” you mean somewhere you were betrayed by those you hold most dear then it’s from hell I’ve just come. I didn’t much care for it,” Klaus told him furiously, then grabbed his shoulders and compelled him. “Do as you're told. There’s a good lad.” 

Dahlia walked up to Klaus while speaking, “The child’s magic is still cloak. I shall need both of your blood to find her.” 

I sped over to them as Marcel dragged Rebekah away screaming, “No. Nik, Alex, don’t!” 

Dahlia held out her hand and I grabbed a dagger on the floor before cutting my palm open, then giving her my blood. Klaus merely kept eye contact with Rebekah and bit his hand. Dahlia looked at us and closed her eyes doing a spell to find our daughter as I dropped the dagger. 

“I’ve found her,” Dahlia said and began to leave, with Klaus following behind her. 

I waited until they were out of earshot and sight before rushing after Rebekah and Marcel. “You have lost your bloody mind!” Rebekah shouted and I walked up to her.

“Look I just came here to say I wasn’t going to hurt you, ok?” I told her. “The only reason Klaus said that was so Dahlia wouldn’t question why I was staying behind with Leo.”

“Then why are you here?” Marcel asked and I turned to him. 

“To take that damn blade out of Elijah and explain everything to you all, but primarily to Elijah. I’m sorry about the compulsion. I can’t undo it...and I would if I could, but Klaus must want you in your original body for a reason.” I explained to them. “Now I have to go wake up Elijah. Everything will make sense soon. I promise.”

I sped back downstairs to Elijah and I looked at him sadly. I listened upstairs waiting for Rebekah to leave her witch body because I couldn’t wake Elijah ‘til that was done. When I heard the sound of a knife going into a neck, I shoved my hand into Elijah's chest and ripped the blade out. Elijah gasped and sat up immediately. He glanced around in confusion and I lightly placed my hand on his arm. 

Elijah grabbed me by the neck and sped me to the wall as his vamp face came out in anger. “Elijah. Elijah, listen to me,” I struggled to say. 

“Why should I? You and Niklaus spoiled everything we planned to do to save your daughter?!” Elijah spat in my face. 

I kicked his knee in with my foot and shoved him off of me, and onto the ground. Elijah got up again and lunged at me but I was quick to punch him in the face then pin him to the floor. Elijah threw me off of him and we both sped up to face each other again. 

“JUST LISTEN TO ME! GODDAMMIT!” I screamed. “Everything Klaus and I did tonight was a trick!” 

This caused him to pause. “Both of you have lost your minds!” Elijah yelled. 

“No, we haven’t, you did when you let Victor run off with my child!” I shouted and walked towards him until I was a few feet away. “Putting that aside, we need her to trust us so Klaus could do what he needs to do. I’m sorry, but we needed it to look convincing.”

“To-? To what possible end?” Elijah asked, confused. 

“I know her secret. I know how we can kill Dahlia,” I told him. Elijah looked down and to his right to see Gia’s corpse. 

“You two did this-” 

“I didn’t know he was going to kill her?” I told him. “I knew he was going to use Gia for something, but I didn’t know her fate.” 

Elijah sighed, then sped away and came back with a white sheet. He covered up Gia’s body respectfully and I looked away. Obviously, he was in love with her, of course, I didn’t know that until now since he basically alienated himself from me. Elijah turned around to me quickly, with a furious and determent gaze in his eyes.

“You mean to tell me that this was part of Niklaus' plan?” Elijah asked and I nodded. “We had a plan! A plan you both have mercilessly destroyed!” He shouted at me. 

“Your plan wouldn't have worked, Elijah,” I yelled. “So we had to come up with one of our own. Plus you lost decision-making abilities the moment _you_ _took_ ** _my daughter_** from me. You do remember that you’re just their _uncle_ not their _father_ , right?” 

“And what is this  _ plan _ of yours then?” Elijah asked, angrily.

“He has to get Dahlia to link to him,” I answered. 

“My brother wishes to bind himself to our enemy and you let him go through with this?” Elijah asked as he walked closer to me. “She’ll be virtually indestructible.”

“Look you guys had the wrong ingredients to kill Dahlia, and Klaus is buying us time to get the right ones,” I explained.

“How?” Elijah asked.

“By-!” I gasped and held my chest. Elijah rushed up to me and grabbed me before I stumbled backward. 

“Alex?” Elijah asked, concerned.

“By sticking the dagger back into his chest, which he just did,” I explained. “The clock’s ticking,” I told him. “Their link means the dagger will put them both to sleep until we can get Esther’s blood.”

“Esther’s blood?-”

“The blood of the person who broke her heart, meaning that she loved her the most,” I cut him off. “It was never Freya and that’s why your plan would have failed.”

Elijah let go of me and turned around before sitting down on the fountain, next to Gia’s body. He called Victor and the phone went to voicemail. Now why Victor was not answering I did have to keep a secret. We stayed in this silence as the sun rose into the sky. I would have insisted on getting to work, but I didn’t want to push my luck with Elijah. We needed his help.

“I’m sorry about your girlfriend,” I said to him.

“Are you?” Elijah asked in rage. 

“Yes, I am,” I told him. “Now we need to get to work. Klaus will do whatever he needs to protect our daughter -”

“Klaus will do what is best for KLAUS!” Elijah shouted and I stepped away from him. His eyes were filled with tears and red with anger. “How can you not see that yet? How do I know you are telling the truth because Victor isn’t answering his phone! I understand you only think me an uncle in your eyes, but I will  _ always _ want what’s best for them above all else! Now, what have you done?!”

“What I had to protect Charles,” I growled out, still upset about it even coming down to that option. But it was better than death in my eyes. 

Elijah was about to ask more questions but I heard two people approaching us. I turned to see Rebekah in her original body and sighed. “Rebekah?” Elijah asked.

“Looks like Niklaus and Alexandria had a lot on their to-do list last night,” Rebekah told him then looked to me. “And I’m sure you can tell them what you did to Victor, Hayley, and Charles…”

“What is it?” Elijah asked me and I crossed my arms as everyone waited for me to answer.

“We put the Crescent curse back on the pack,” I told them. “Dahlia made a cure so I wasn’t affected.”

“Why? Why would you do that?” Elijah asked. 

“Because it was the only way to save my son, ok?!” I lashed out at him. “You think I wanted to do this to them! I did it because if I hadn’t Dahlia would have taken Charles from me, just like she did Daniel!” 

“Look, we can argue about this later,” Rebekah budded in. “Freya called. Dahlia is incapacitated.” Elijah looked over to me, realizing I had actually told him the truth earlier. “They’re two hours north at an orchard near Pearl River. She has Cordelia.” 

I went to speed away at the mention of my daughter’s location but Elijah sped in front of me. “You are not-” I pinned Elijah to the wall by his neck. 

“If you keep me from my daughter again Elijah. I will hide your body in a place no one - not even Klaus - will be able to find it. This I swear to you,” I growled and let go of him before speeding away after my daughter. 


	46. Chapter 45

###  Alex’s P.O.V

I sped to the orchard with Elijah and Freya took a step back with a fussing Cordelia. I didn’t even glance at Klaus daggered on the ground with a sleeping Dahlia. I moved towards my daughter and Freya moved away from me. “Freya, it’s ok,” Elijah told her. “We kept Cordelia from Alex once, I suggest we don’t do it again. Not unless we want to face her wrath...I fear it may be worse than Niklaus’s.”

“Yes, I believe the saying goes, ‘There is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child,” I stated as I walked up to her. Holy shit, those dagger’s pack a punch and it keeps getting stronger the closer I get to Klaus. 

“I have never heard of that phrase,” Freya said and I took Cordelia out of her arms. 

“Hey, baby, momma’s here,” I said to Cordelia. Then I sped away from Klaus, which earned me a confused looked from Freya. “The quote from N. K. Jemisin and I can’t stand near Klaus right now,” I explained to her. “It’s our soul bond. The closer I am to him the stronger I can feel his pain.”

“Then I suggest you take Cordelia back to her brother,” Elijah said. “We’ll get Dahlia and Klaus.” I nodded and sped away with my daughter.

####  ~At the Compound; Two Hours Later~

[I](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/814518282598941828/) walked downstairs into the ballroom with Elijah, Rebekah, Marcel, and Freya. Klaus was laying down on his back with the dagger in him. The pain was unbearable, which is why I was sitting on the bottom of the steps. I felt immobile even though I knew I could get up and walk away. Dahlia laid down the same way across from him. Their feet were to each other and they looked identical in position except Klaus was all grey and veiny. Marcel walked over and squatted next to him then poked his body out of curiosity.

“Nik and you are demented. Are we really to dig up our mother, burn her to ash, swap said ash for Kol’s, then trick Davina and Henrik into using their last chance to bring someone back from the dead?” Rebekah asked me and I held my hands up in defense. “We would lose the opportunity to save Kol  _ if _ Davina doesn’t turn us inside out.”

“In all fairness, we planned to gain Dahlia’s trust, not kill Charles by cursing the pack, have Klaus link himself to Dahlia, then have me tell you all that we needed Esther’s blood. Now how you get said blood is up to you,” I explained to them. “Because personally, I don’t want to bring Esther back from the dead for the third time.”

“Or we dig a deep hole and leave both our problems at the bottom of it,” Elijah stated as he moved to stand over Klaus, and I glared at him. I know you’re hurting Elijah, but you're not burying the father of my children alive with the wicked witch of the west.

“I say we choose a more permanent option,” Freya said while looking down at Dahlia. I stood up and carefully made my way over to her. “Find the white oak stake. Kill Klaus. Dahlia dies with him.”

“Oh, yeah, and so do I and every other vampire that Klaus has turned,” Marcel said.

“Which by the way includes me, and I will not have you make my children orphans, Freya,” I told her.

“The dagger,” Rebekah muttered, stopping the argument between Freya and me. I sped over crouching down near Klaus as Elijah squatted down on the other side of him. Mind you, I regret doing this because I’m in a lot of pain right now. “It’s bloody melting.” 

“We have no choice but to finish the task Niklaus and Alexandria have set,” Elijah confessed and I stumbled to stand up. I was getting light-headed from the pain the dagger was still causing and Elijah rushed me to a chair behind me. “You can’t be near him, Alex.”

“I’m  _ not _ leaving him,” I stated. “Go. All of you. You each have your task and at least you know your mother’s in her coffin.” They all gave me a confused look and I rolled my eyes. I’m not explaining that right now. “Just go. I have to look after the twins anyway.” Elijah sighed before leaving the room with Rebekah. 

“Freya and I are going to look for Kol’s ashes,” Marcel said and I nodded. “Shout if the dagger gets worse.” I held up my thumb as a response as I adjusted my position in my chair, then they went upstairs.

~

I knew I should have gone upstairs and stayed with the twins, but I couldn’t leave Klaus. The twins hadn’t cried out yet despite all the ruckus Freya and Marcel were causing upstairs to find Kol’s ashes. A few minutes later Marcel came down with Freya and began pacing. Freya kneeled next to Klaus and began sprinkling some salt on his chest while chanting a spell.

“I’m guessing you didn’t find Kol’s ashes,” I said to them while leaning back in my seat.

“Davina got to them first and I told Elijah, in case you are wondering,” Marcel said.

I looked back as the pain in my chest began to melt away. The dagger was almost completely gone and Freya’s spell wasn’t stopping it. She gave up and looked at us. “It’s no use. I can’t slow her magic,” Freya said and we all stood up. “Everything I’m trying fails.” 

Freya looked behind me when she heard leaves rustling. I turned to see veins growing on the banister behind me. The veins kept growing and circling the whole room as I began to pace. “There’s gotta be a way to kill her,” Marcel said while pointing at Dahlia. I turned my head away and scratched the back of it, trying to come up with anything besides killing Klaus. 

“There is,” Freya spoke up. Marcel and I turned to see Freya bent down beside Klaus, holding the wooden stake over his chest. 

“NO!” “No, Freya!” Marcel and I both shouted and moved to stop her, but Freya left her hand and pinned us to the wall beside each other. I struggled against her spell, trying to save Klaus’s life and my own in the process.

“No, no, no! Please, Freya!” I begged her. 

“You kill him, you kill me too,” Marcel shouted at her as we both struggled against her spell. 

Freya turned her head to us quickly, with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to kill you! I don’t want to leave the twins without their parents either!” Freya yelled at us angrily, and then looked back down at Klaus. “I don’t want to kill him. This is the family I longed for. But because of her…” Freya looked over at Dahlia. “I’ll forever be alone.” 

She then raised her hand ready to stab Klaus in the heart, when Klaus’s hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. “Sister,” Klaus whispered and placed both his hands on the stake as if he was carefully removing a gun from her hands. And in a way, he was.

Freya's spell dropped and I sighed in relief that Klaus had woken up in time. I didn’t have to watch him die again, thank God too, because Bonnie wasn’t here to stick him in a different body to save him. Freya was shaking in shock and fear of what she had almost done. Dahlia then shot up into a sitting position, while Klaus struggled to do the same. They looked at each other in anger and I moved away from Dahlia with Marcel. 

Freya helped Klaus stand up, letting him lean on her until he found his balance, as Dahlia got up as well. “I’m almost impressed by the lengths you’d go to for your little girl,” Dahlia said and we looked over at her. “Though not enough to let bygones be.”

Dahlia lifted her hand and the stake flew out of Klaus’s. “We are still linked, dear aunt,” Klaus told her as he walked a tiny bit closer to Dahlia. “You may not want to punish me with that particular weapon.”

“Hmm. I made sure that the link between us melted along with that dagger,” Dahlia informed us and I looked at her with fear. “Meaning…” Dahlia moved to point the tip of the dagger at him. “I’m quite free to kill you.” 

Dahlia clenched her fist and started dragging a screaming Klaus towards her. I was quick to speed across, catching Klaus and shoving him out of the way. We banged into the chair I was sitting on, then turned back to see Dahlia and Freya were gone. Then I heard Cordelia crying in her room, and sped upstairs with Klaus following me. 

We barged into the nursery, which was covered in Dahlia’s vines, only to see one prick Cordelia’s hand. I quickly picked her up and held her to my chest trying to calm her down. “Why didn’t she take Cordelia?” I asked Klaus while checking on Leo. He seemed to become fussy with his sister’s crying. 

“Because all she needed was a drop of her blood,” Klaus told me and I looked at our daughter worried. I kissed her head as she began to calm down. “Unfortunately, I have no idea where the vile harpy had fled to.”

“Alright, go. Get the twins someplace safe. I’ll track down your witch.” Marcel told us. “And when this is over, you and I are gonna settle up.”

“Provided we survive what’s to come tonight, I look forward to it,” Klaus told him and Marcel left the room.

Cordelia was now biting her fist and I saw the little bracelet still on her wrist. Klaus grabbed Leo when he began to cry and calmed him down. Then he grabbed both of their carriers and walked into our room. I followed behind him and watched as he placed Leo inside his, then took Cordelia and placed her in her own. 

“Come on. I’m taking you to St. James Infirmary until I kill the witch,” Klaus said.

“Klaus,” I told him and he turned around to me looking exasperated. I walked up to him and pulled him into a kiss, which he gladly returned as his hands moved to my waist. When our kiss broke he leaned his forehead against mine, then placed a gentle kiss there. “You never do that again.”

“It’s not my fault she tried to kill me,” Klaus said and I lightly hit his chest where the dagger was still melted onto his shirt. “Ok. Ok, point taken.” 

“You never leave me to do that again. Elijah almost killed me in his rage,” I told him.

“Are you ok?” Klaus asked, worried. 

“Are you?” I asked. I had lightly kept my hand on his chest, and Klaus placed his hand over it before giving me another gentle kiss. 

“I’m ok,” Klaus said.

“Yeah well, I’m not. I almost had to watch you die for a third time,” I stated and Klaus chuckled. 

“But you didn't,” Klaus said softly. “Come on, let's go.” He kept his hand in mine as we moved to grab the twins, then left. 

####  ~At St. James Infirmary~

I called Erica a while ago. Despite barely knowing her, she took care of the twins at the house with Elijah, Cami, and Daniel. Not to mention Daniel was her friend and that was the only reason I spared her. I wanted to make amends with her and see if she would consider being the twins' babysitter when Klaus and I couldn’t watch them. Erica walked in and saw me sitting on the steps leading up to the stage. Cordelia was standing in between my legs while her brother laid in the carrier to my right. 

“And here I thought your invitation meant drinking and apologizing for everything that happened yesterday,” Erica stated before grabbing a bottle and two glasses from the bar. She walked over and sat on my left before pouring two glasses. 

“Drinking in front of two babies?” I asked her.

“You’re the one who brought them to a bar,” Erica shot back and I laughed.

“I can see why Daniel liked you,” I complimented. 

“Is that why you spared me?” Erica asked. “Because I was friends with him.”

“He trusted you,” I told her. “Daniel always had a good judge of character. It’s one of the things I’m going to miss about him.” Erica handed me a glass and I took in my spare hand. 

“To Daniel,” Erica said.

“To Daniel,” I repeated, then we clinked our glasses together. Erica downed hers while I placed mine next to me. “I also spared you because I owed you for looking after our kids while they were in hiding.”

“And Gia?” She asked. “Why did Klaus kill her?”

“Because he was hurt. Elijah had betrayed him and Klaus being Klaus returned the favor in the most extreme way possible,” I explained. “I’m not condoning his actions because I honestly didn’t know what Klaus was going to do. All I witnessed was him compelling her to do as he said, but I think he did that so Elijah would trust me...kinda makes me feel sick. I hate the pain Klaus put him through.”

“Yet you still stand by him,” She said and I sighed while picking Cordelia up and holding her on my knee.

“I love him, I’ll always love him,” I told her honestly. “How could I not? He gave me these two little bundles of joy and has shown me true, innocent love I haven’t felt in a hundred and fifty-four years.”

“That loves gonna get you killed one day,” Erica replied. “However I get it. I dated this guy in the late ‘80s who made me feel the same way. Sadly I haven’t been able to find a decent guy since.”

“Decent guys are hard to come by,” I told her with a groan. There was this slight stinging sensation throughout my body, but I hid it from Erica with ease. However, I was worried cause it meant Klaus was in pain.

“You do realize Klaus doesn’t fit into that category?” She asked me and I chuckled. 

“Believe me I’m aware. Our journey hasn’t been a smooth one, but it’s been worth it in the long run...for me at least,” I tried to explain to her.

“Well then, at the very least, I can hope to find a love that makes me fight from them; the same way the two of you fight for each other,” Erica said.

“And you will,” I promised her. “I’ll help if I can.”

“Deal,” Erica laughed and filled up her glass again. 

“Ok, all of that aside, I called you here to offer you a job,” I told her. 

“A job?” She asked. I paused for a moment as the pain suddenly stopped and I rolled my shoulders back a bit. 

Then I turned to her with a slight nod. “As the twins' babysitter, when Klaus and I can’t watch them,” I explained.

“You mean like when the two of you go away for your honeymoon,” Erica replied and I laughed while nodding. “Why me? You have Elijah and Freya.”

“Elijah and Klaus are going to be at odds for a while, and I’m not sure if he’s going to be staying in the compound with us after everything...actually I’ll be lucky if he still talks to me after tonight. Then Freya will probably be a babysitter, but from taken care of both twins on my own, I know it’s a lot of work,” I said.

Erica was silent as I put Cordelia in her carrier. My daughter fell asleep instantly and my son had been sleeping for a while now. They were both adorable as they sucked on their little pacifiers in their sleep. God, I could watch them all day. 

“Ok.” Erica agreed and I walked over to her. “I’ll do it, but I expect a wedding invitation.”

“Out of all the things you could have asked for, that is the easiest to make happen,” I joked and she smiled. I heard someone walk into the club behind me and turned to see Klaus. Elijah and Rebekah weren’t with him but that didn’t shock me. I sped over to him and brought him into a hug. Klaus sighed in my ear while holding me to him tightly. He’s ok. We were all going to be ok.


	47. Chapter 46: One Wedding and 13 Coffins

###  Alex’s P.O.V

####  ~Two Weeks Later~

I sat at the vanity in my dressing room as Caroline and Rebekah talking to each other while doing [my hair](https://www.pinterest.de/pin/786230047440271873/) and makeup. It took a while to get Rebekah to talk to me after everything, but I guess whatever story Klaus told his family made her think I barely knew what was going on. Then the second I told Caroline I was getting married she came down to New Orleans with Stefan and began planning everything. Then when Rebekah, in her witch body, joined her I basically had no more control over the wedding...which might have been a good thing considering how I was freaking out by the time they showed up. The only thing I made sure happened was that it was a small wedding with only friends and family. 

“Is your mother coming?” Caroline asked me suddenly and I looked at her through the mirror.

“Why on earth would I invite Lily?” I asked her. “She abandoned my brothers and me and left us with a monster.”

“It’s a fair question,” Caroline defended herself while letting another curl fall. “She is your mother.”

“My mother died in 1855,” I stated. “Lily was simply a tool to get Stefan’s emotions back on, so we could get your emotions back on.”

“Your mother’s alive?” Rebekah questioned.

“Yeah, and it’s a long story on how. If you want to know it, I suggest asking Damon or Stefan,” I answered. “All you need to know is that Lily’s a Ripper and she’s not coming anywhere near my kids.”

“Ok, then you’re all done,” Rebekah said and the two girls stepped away from me. 

I got up and walked over to the stand-up mirror in the room. I ran my hands down [my dress](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/389702174007564951/) and exhaled as Caroline came up behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders. “You look beautiful, Alex,” Caroline said. I placed my hand on top of hers and smiled.

“Thank you, Care,” I told her. “I just hope no one picks a fight today.” 

Elijah had moved back into the compound, which I was happy about because I wanted my kids to know their uncle. Like Rebekah, Elijah was hard to talk to but he heard the same story Rebekah did...actually he probably heard it from Rebekah. I don’t know why it was easier for Elijah to talk to me. Maybe it was because he knew it wasn’t my plan to kill the girl he loved? That I shouldn’t be blamed for a part in Klaus’ plan I had no idea about until it was too late? At first, it was him moving in, then him staying in the same room as me, him glancing at me when the twins laughed, talking to me about taking the twins out, then where we are now: conversations that are about three to five sentences before an awkward silence settles in. My next step is to make him laugh, but I will say he and Erica have been talking a lot; given how they were both friends with Gia. 

However, every time Klaus walked into the room, whatever “conversation” Elijah and I would be having suddenly stopped, and the older original would make an excuse to leave. That’s why I told Klaus we didn’t have to have a best man and maid of honor. Klaus would have wanted Elijah as his best man and in all fairness, we were lucky his older brother was attending our wedding. We were lucky any of the Mikaelsons’ were. 

“Don’t worry, Elijah won’t make a scene,” Rebekah told me as I turned around to her. “Despite it being our brother’s wedding; I think he’s only here for you.”

I smiled at her and turned to look back at my dress in the mirror. “Do you think I could have a minute alone?” I asked them, and they nodded before leaving the room.

Once the door shut behind them I walked over to the window in my dressing room and looked out to see everyone taking their seats. There weren’t a lot of chairs simply because we didn’t invite a large number of people. The officiant was standing at the end of the altar and I had about fifteen minutes before I had to walk down the aisle outside. 

I always liked the way outside weddings looked. They were so beautiful and calm. The trees surrounding the venue had lights hanging down like icicles and the sight almost made me cry. Happily, I didn’t shed a tear or else Rebekah and Caroline would have my head. This was any girl's dream wedding. I should have realized when I told Klaus how I imagined the altar to look, he’d make it look exactly like I describe. 

My gaze turned to everyone getting into their seats. Erica was looking after the twins and Klaus was happy that I had gotten a babysitter before the wedding. However, he also didn’t think we needed her since we had Freya and Elijah. I would include Rebekah into that list if she wasn’t leaving to go find another way to bring Kol back with Henrik tomorrow. On my side of the aisle sat Erica, Elijah, Damon, Stefan, and Caroline. However, both seats on either side of Stefan were empty because Caroline was outside my room and Damon had to walk me down the aisle. On Klaus’s side sat Freya, Marcel, Rebekah, Cami, and Henrik. Leo was on my side with Erica while Cordelia was with Freya. 

There was a knock on the door behind me and I turned to see Damon standing in the doorway. “Wow,” He said as I stood up. “Klaus isn’t going to know what hit him.” I laughed and smoothed down the dress as I walked up to him. 

“I have to ask...if Caroline and Rebekah are helping me get ready. Who’s making sure Klaus doesn’t get cold feet?” I questioned. 

“That would be Stefan,” Damon answered. “I asked Elijah, but he gave me a glare and Stefan stepped up before a fight broke out.” So much for what Rebekah said.

“Yeah, Elijah and Klaus aren’t on the best of terms right now,” I told him. I turned around to look out the window again, as Damon walked up beside me and stood on my right. “I’m sorry about Elena. Stefan and Caroline explained what happened and it’s why I didn’t invite Alaric.”

“And Bonnie?” Damon questioned.

“I invited her. She said she would send us a wedding gift, but she didn’t want to attend Klaus' wedding. Which I respect given what he’s put her through,” I said. There was another knock on the door and Caroline popped her head inside the room as we turned to her. 

“They're ready for you,” Caroline said then closed the door behind her. She really is the best wedding planner I’ve ever seen.

Damon looked at me and grabbed my hands. “Ready?” Damon asked and I sighed. “Because if not this would be the time to make your escape. Stefan and I can bring the twins to you later.”

“I’m ready, Damon,” I laughed. “I chose this marriage, remember?”

“Just double-checking,” Damon replied.

I grabbed my bouquet and linked one of my arms with his. We walked out of the room and down to the end of the aisle. Everyone turned towards Damon and me in their seats. I took a shaky breath, even though I trusted everyone here and I was marrying the love of my life. Maybe it's because I knew this one of the few peaceful days in my life. Good thing that I’m spending it marrying my soulmate. 

My eyes locked with Klaus’s at the altar and I smiled at him. He looked handsome in [his black tux](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/782781978966444017/) and I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks from the way he was staring at me. I was smiling the whole time as I walked up the aisle to him. While we chose not to have a best man and a maid of honor stand at the front with us, Caroline sat the closest to the aisle on the bride’s side; mainly so she could take my bouquet before we said our vows.

Damon kissed me on the cheek before taking his seat between Stefan and Elijah. I stood in front of Klaus as the officiant spoke up. “Welcome family and friends to this momentous occasion. We gather here today to celebrate the love between Klaus Mikaelson and Alexandria Salvatore.” Klaus and I both looked at the officiant and he smiled at us. “And now I believe you two have written your own vows.”

I turned to Caroline as we made a quick, smooth swap between the bouquet and the wedding ring. I turned back to Klaus as he took both of my hands before I took a deep breath. “Klaus, I have to be honest with you. I didn’t think our lives would let us have one quiet day where I could make you my husband. I thought that surely some new threat would pop up two days before the wedding…and I’m glad I was wrong,” I told him. I left his left hand up and slipped [his wedding band](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/622059767272680274/) on while saying, “With this ring, I promise to always love, trust, and protect you more than anyone else. I accepted all the good and the bad that comes with making these promises.” 

“Alexandria Salvatore, from the moment you walked up to my table at Gloria’s bar, I knew that somehow I would slip the wedding ring on your finger one day,” He said to me and lifted my left hand, then slipped [my wedding band](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/345158758945358459/) on above my engagement ring. “You are the most independent, loyal woman I have ever met. On top of all of that, I get to have you as the mother of my children, which is something I never thought I would be able to say. For better or for worse, I will always love, trust and protect you and our kids above everyone else.”

“Now I believe there's only one left to be said,” The officiant told us and we looked to him. “I now pronounce you man and wife.” He turned to Klaus and sent him a smile. “Klaus, you may kiss your bride.” Within a split second, Klaus wrapped his arm around my waist and brought him into a passionate kiss. I laughed against his lips in joy as I returned the kiss, while the cheers and clapping behind me faded in the distance. 

####  ~At the Compound~

Klaus and I were dancing in the middle of the ballroom as a slow song played in the background. I had my head rested on his chest and could see Marcel and Rebekah dancing a few feet away from me. Rebekah was holding Leo next to Elijah, who held Cordelia. Their bedtime was ticking closer with every second, I could tell by my daughter rubbing her eyes. I looked over Klaus’s shoulder seeing Damon at the open bar on his fourth glass of whiskey. 

“You’re worried about him,” Klaus said to me and I looked at him. 

“He’s my older brother, I’m always worried about him,” I replied, resting my head on his chest again. “However, now-”

“He’s without Elena,” Klaus finished and I looked at him confused. “Stefan filled me in before the wedding. I think it was a warning not to jab at him about his missing plus one.”

“Probably a good idea,” I agreed. Klaus looked down at me and brought me into a sweet kiss. We pulled away at the sound of a fork tapping against a glass. I turned around and stood by Klaus when I saw Caroline standing in the front of the room. She had a bright smile on and I could feel a speech coming on. 

“Hello, can I have everyone’s attention! Thank you. Now while I may not officially be Alex’s maid of honor, I do believe she deserves a maid of honor speech,” Caroline began, then looked over to Klaus and me. “I haven’t known Alex as long as Damon or Stefan, and when we first met I only knew her as their sister. Yet while Stefan helped me through transition, Alex was the one who helped me adjust back into my life now that I was a vampire. She was there when my mom first found out about me. I remember how Alex stayed with me all night as I cried about how I thought my mom was going to send the local vampire council to kill me. Not to mention all the relationship drama I was going through at the time. After that we became close friends, then best friends and I go as far as to say that she’s the sister I never had.”

I leaned into Klaus' chest with a smile as Caroline continued. “To be honest I thought I would never be able to return the favor for all the things she had done for me. Then Klaus came to town and I got to,” I heard a light chuckle from where Damon was at the bar. “Funny thing is, even though I never told her this out loud, I knew they would get together in the end. How did I know you may ask? Because Alex would always bring him up in every conversation we had. I knew any guy that could occupy her mind like that would be the only one to worm his way into her heart.

“Despite everything your husband has put you through, Alex...I’m happy you found him.” Caroline said, speaking directly to me. “Anyone who sees the two of you together would automatically know that he makes you the happiest person in the world. I’ve never seen anyone bring a smile to your face like Klaus has nor have I ever heard of a more epic love story than yours. I hope you two live happily forever after together.” Caroline lifted her glass. “To the bride and groom!” 

Everyone in the room repeated her as I made my way over to her and hugged her. “I love you, Care,” I whispered to her. 

“I love you too, Alex,” Caroline responded with a small giggle. 

~

I made my way over to the bar where Damon had placed himself throughout the entire reception. “Are you ok?” I asked him. 

Damon rolled his eyes at my question. “What kind of a question is that? First Stefan, now you; Am I ok? Of course, I’m not ok. My girlfriend is in a sleeping beauty type coma because Kai fucking Parker had to get his precious revenge on Bonnie and me. At least I got to kill the bastard,” Damon snapped. I remained silent as he bowed his head then looked over at me. “I’m sorry.”

“Wow,” I said a bit surprised. “Elena really did bring out the best in you. The human you...I thought that Damon was long dead.”

“Would you rather I be an asshole and give a drunken speech at your wedding?” Damon asked me sardonically. 

“I have to admit I thought this wedding would either have that or a big verbal fight that ended with Elijah punching Klaus in the face,” I answered. Damon turned around and leaned his back against the bar. He looked over and saw how Elijah was on the opposite side of the room talking to Caroline, while Klaus was on the other spending time with the twins. 

“Yeah, what happened between them exactly? Also, where’s Charles, Victor, Daniel, or hell even Hayley? I’d thought they’d be here,” Damon wondered.

“You remember how I mentioned Klaus's crazy aunt Dahlia was coming to town for Cordelia’s magic?” I asked him and he hummed. “Well, we stopped her.”

“Why do I think there’s a ‘but’ to that statement?”

“Because there is. To stop Dahlia, we both had to gain her trust in different ways. For Klaus he had to stab all his siblings in the back, Elijah more than most by burning his girlfriend alive and making him watch.” Damon whilst dramatically before taking a sip of his drink. “Yeah, well that led to Elijah saying he had defended Klaus for over a millennium and that he wasn’t going to do it anymore,” I answered.

“Wait. So you’re telling me that all it took was Elijah watching Klaus burn his girlfriend alive to make him give up on saving his soul?” Damon asked and I nodded. “Damn we should have thought of that.” I rolled my eyes. “Ok, then what about you then?”

“Well I was left with two choices; one as equally horrible as the other. Either I had to kill Charles to be in my daughter’s life or I had to curse Charles to save him from Dahlia.” I explained. “Naturally I choose to curse him rather than kill him.”

“Why was his life in danger in the first place? And what curse did you put on him?” he asked.

“Dahlia saw him as a threat. She knew Charles would do everything in his power to keep Cordelia away from her. She was going to kill him and to avoid losing another son I offered the pack curse as another solution.” I explained. “As for the curse itself, it swaps nature around. So the pack default form is a wolf and they only turn human on a full moon.”

“How come you weren’t affected then?” Damon asked with a confused look on his face.

“Dahlia made me an immunity potion since Klaus wouldn’t continue with his plan until he knew I was safe,” I answered. “And before you ask, yes I’m going to look for a way to break the curse after my honeymoon.”

“Ok, then what about Victor and Daniel? They were part of your pack, I think,” Damon asked immediately.

“Oh, Hayley and Victor got married, meaning he got cursed with the pack as well,” I told him. 

“And Daniel?” Damon asked carefully. I bowed my head, turning around, and grabbed a champagne glass from the bar. Apparently, he realized I was avoiding talking about him until the last moment.

“Dead,” I answered and drank the whole glass in one go.

“How?”

“Dahlia. Made it look like Klaus did it. Meaning he was the tipping point that was meant to separate Klaus and me, while also turning Mikaelson against Mikaelson,” I explained.

“How do you know he didn’t do it? I mean he killed Mary-Anne,” Damon said.

“Well, she definitely tried to make me believe it was him, and while she succeeded in that last part of her mission...Klaus gave himself away by looking shocked when he first saw him. At first, I did believe it but-”

“You know him too well and worked it out,” Damon finished and I nodded.

“Exactly, ergo Charles and Victor thinking my love for him blinded me too much and Elijah letting them run away with Cordelia while putting me into a deep sleep so I couldn’t go after my daughter,” I explained.

“Wow. I’m shocked you don’t hate Elijah then,” Damon said.

“Oh I’m still bitter about everything, but I don’t hate him. He was just doing what he thought he had to protect Cordelia. I can never hate him for that, Damon.” I said to him and placed my empty glass behind me. “Also I missed the old you. The brother I grew up with.” I leaned in closer and dropped my voice to a whisper. “I’m glad he's back.”

~

Erica had gone home after the twins were put to sleep and Marcel offered her a ride so they left. Then Rebekah was leaving tomorrow morning. Everyone else was staying in the compound - for tonight at least - and I offered Damon a place to stay if he found a bar tomorrow afternoon before he left with Stefan and Caroline. I was standing in the nursery looking over my children as they slept and Klaus walked in with a tie undone hanging around his neck. 

“You know when I imagined our wedding night, Mrs. Mikaelson.” I can get used to him calling me that. Klaus wrapped his arms around my waist as he stood behind me, and began to kiss my shoulder up to my neck before stopping next to my ear. “I thought we’d be doing something a little more entertaining than watching our children sleep,” He whispered. 

“Mr. Mikaelson, we have all the time in the world to do that,” I told him and leaned my head back against his shoulder. Looking back at our kids, I placed my hands over my husband’s as I leaned more into his arms. “But for now, I just want to watch them sleep before I have to leave them in care of Elijah, Freya, and Erica for two weeks.”

Klaus kissed the side of my head and I could feel his smile on my skin. “Ok, my love. Then that’s what we’ll do,” He said. I turned my head up to look up into his dark blue eyes before leaning up and giving him a soft kiss. I pulled away and looked at the kids sadly. “What is it?”

“Kol and Daniel should be here,” I whispered. 

“Thinking of the ones we lost? Again, not something you normally think about on your wedding night.” Klaus commented and I let out a little laugh.

“We lost a lot of people this year. Daniel, Kol-”

“Ansel,” Klaus muttered and I squeezed the hand around my waist. 

“Oliver, Liz, Elena…”

“I thought you’d be happy about that one,” Klaus joked lightly.

“I would be if she didn’t make Damon a better person,” I explained. “Also Kai’s dead; Damon killed him.”

“Now that’s a death I’m happy about.” I chuckled at my husband. “As well as Mikael, Esther, Dahlia, and Jackson’s.” Klaus listed.

“Finn and Gia are also on that list,” I told him.

“I wish I could bring Gia back, now knowing the effect it would cause,” Klaus said regretfully. “But Finn’s not technically dead; just locked away in Freya’s pendant.”

I turned around in his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m happy you survived this year though. I don’t know what I do without you.” I pulled him down a bit so I could kiss him and he pulled me closer to deepen the kiss. “I love you, Klaus,” I whispered when we pulled away to breathe. “For eternity.”

Klaus gave me another kiss before whispering back, “I love you too. Always and forever.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this book and continuing to follow Alex's journey with me! The first chapter of book 4 will be published sometime this summer. I'll post a note at the end of this book when it's out, so keep an eye out for that notification when it comes. 
> 
> See you in Book 4,  
> BewareTheBear


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